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Lili’s arrival came as a surprise to Yae-hime, but also a pleasant one. She had already learned that things were progressing smoothly on Alicia’s side, but seeing Lili rush over with such a radiant smile and throw herself into her arms told her something more.

Alicia’s progress had clearly exceeded all expectations.

After giving it some thought, Yae-hime found it perfectly reasonable. After all, Alicia had only fallen from the Legend rank in the first place. Returning to that realm did not require her to stabilize her foundation again.

Furthermore, Yae-hime had personally devised a unique recovery method for her, making the entire process exceptionally smooth.

“Alicia, she’s only a little bit away from coming out,” Lili said, seemingly noticing the confusion on Yae-hime’s face.

“That’s wonderful news.” Yae-hime casually pulled her into an embrace and smiled faintly. Compared to relying on her own speculation, hearing it directly from Lili’s mouth put her much more at ease.

It couldn’t be helped. Alicia always seemed to run into some sort of problem at the very last moment. Fortunately, this time nothing unexpected had happened. It was obvious that her luck had improved considerably. That pleased Yae-hime greatly.

In truth, judging solely from the quest’s time limit of three days, there was still a possibility that something could go wrong. After all, attacking Jade City shouldn’t take that long.

Their forces were limited, making a prolonged war impossible. At most, they had a single night. If they failed to capture Jade City in one night, they would have no choice but to retreat in defeat.

When it came to accumulated power and resources, Alicia was clearly no match for Richard. Despite secretly controlling more than half of the empire, she did not possess many truly capable fighters. At the end of the day, in a world where strength reigned supreme, the deciding factors were always the upper and middle tiers of power. As for the lower tier, they were little more than cannon fodder.

The upper-tier forces Alicia currently possessed were enough to contend with Richard. However, the gap between their middle-tier forces was enormous. If the battle dragged on, defeat was inevitable. This war had to be decided swiftly.

The problem was whether Richard would simply allow her to fight her way directly to him. By now, Jade City was probably as fortified as a turtle’s shell. Yae-hime couldn’t help thinking so.

Even if cannon fodder had limited individual value, overwhelming numbers could still become a major headache. Players could be killed by the thousands without consequence. Those leeks could be harvested again and again.

The natives, however, were different. Once they died, they were gone for good. The losses would be devastating. How to reduce those losses was a problem Yae-hime had to face.

Moreover, wasting so much energy before even confronting Richard was hardly worth it. It would only increase the chances of failure.

‘It seems the City of Chaos will play an even bigger role than I originally imagined.’ Once she laid out the problem, Yae-hime quickly found a solution.

“Hime, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.” At that moment, Lili spoke with an unusually serious expression. Seeing her like this, Yae-hime vaguely guessed what she wanted to discuss. The two of them had clearly arrived at the same conclusion.

While they began discussing their plans, preparations in Jade City were nearly complete. Looking down from above, one could see a translucent emerald barrier enveloping the entire city.

The drawbridge had long since been raised, the sewer entrances sealed shut, and everyone inside was effectively placed under complete lockdown. Entering or leaving was impossible. Fortunately, after receiving the quest, the players had rushed back to the city at full speed. Now, they could only suppress their excitement and wait for the war to begin.

Meanwhile, players from the Novice Villages continued arriving through teleportation arrays. For a time, Jadeleaf Plaza was packed to the brim.

Elsewhere, the city walls and the streets below were crowded with countless soldiers. A tense, murderous atmosphere permeated the air, casting a suffocating pressure over the entire city.

On the Church’s side, dozens of luxurious Beast Carriages rolled down the main avenue toward the inner city. The clerics inside looked through the windows at the densely packed troops, their faces equally filled with tension.

Irene had remained locked inside her room and had not stepped outside once. As a result, she knew very little about what was happening throughout the city. Nor did she want to know.

“That meany told me to stay in my room lately, so I’ll just obediently stay here.” With that, she turned her gaze toward the erotic novel lying on her bed. It was Alicia’s latest work, which Yae-hime had accidentally left behind during her previous visit. “Hehe, time to read it again!”

***

Time flew by, and before long, afternoon arrived.

Back in the real world.

The southern sun was merciless. Having just stepped out of the airport, Tiffany stood by the roadside, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sunlight. As a native northerner, she had never liked this kind of climate. It felt as though she were trapped inside an enormous steamer.

After waiting for a short while, a black luxury sedan approached from the road ahead. The vehicle wasn’t moving particularly fast and gradually came to a stop beside her.

Moments later, a lively-looking girl around seventeen or eighteen years old stepped out of the car and greeted her cheerfully. “Tiffany, long time no see!” Her name was Sophia, a Master-ranked Martial Artist responsible for Rakshasa’s safety.

“Long time no see. You’re still as lively and cheerful as ever,” Tiffany said with a smile. Today, she was dressed in a dark gray business suit, looking like a beautiful young white-collar professional who had only recently entered the workforce.

Before Sophia could respond, a middle-aged man stepped out from the driver’s seat. His name was Ethan, an A-Rank Transcendent known by the nickname God of Drivers.

Back when Yae-hime had first made her name in Roc City, Ethan had once driven Rakshasa along the highway.

“Hello, Uncle Fan,” Tiffany greeted politely.

“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare! Grandmaster Li, you’re really putting me in an awkward position!” Hearing that, Ethan hurriedly waved his hands, looking completely flustered.

Among ordinary people, he was indeed old enough to be considered part of Tiffany’s uncle’s generation. However, in a world where strength ruled above all else, seniority was determined by power. Tiffany was far stronger than he was, so her status naturally stood higher as well.

“Uncle Fan is way too old-fashioned,” Sophia said with a grin. As a flower of the new generation, she couldn’t care less about things like seniority. It only made people feel distant.

Tiffany shook her head and chose not to comment. In truth, the older and more ancient a family was, the more importance they placed on etiquette and rules. Of course, that was only within the clan itself. Outside, Tiffany had no desire to be constantly addressed as “Grandmaster this” and “Grandmaster that.” It always made her feel old…

After exchanging a few casual words, the three of them got into the car and headed back to the apartment. Because of the recent incidents involving the foreign insects, a faint atmosphere of tension could be felt throughout the area surrounding the apartment complex.

Rakshasa logged out of the game and walked into the living room for a drink of water. The cool liquid slid down her throat, replenishing her body’s moisture and bringing with it a refreshing sense of comfort.

She glanced around the living room. Nothing had changed. Thinking about it, her workaholic father hadn’t returned home in nearly two months. If they hadn’t occasionally exchanged text messages, Rakshasa might have suspected that something had happened to him.

As for her father, she didn’t have many thoughts about him. He was simply a man obsessed with work. There wasn’t much else to say.

**Ding-dong!**

Suddenly, the sound of the doorbell rang from the front entrance.

Rakshasa instinctively turned toward the sound. She had just taken half a step forward before stopping herself and pulling her foot back. She had never told anyone outside the Princess Alliance that her hearing had returned to normal. After all, it involved Yae-hime’s medical skills.

One had to remember that countless renowned doctors across the country had been unable to do anything about her condition. Yet Yae-hime had cured it with ease. The extent of her medical expertise was obvious. It was practically a miracle cure.

Such extraordinary medical skills absolutely couldn’t be exposed. Otherwise, her beloved Princess would undoubtedly attract unwanted trouble.

“……” Gently shaking her head, Rakshasa pretended not to have heard the doorbell.

However— **Click!** The sound of a key turning in the lock suddenly came from the front door.

‘Dad? Or maybe the cooking auntie?’ Curious, she looked toward the rapidly opening door. Then the expression on her face gradually shifted into one of astonishment.