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Situated in the Royal Palace’s garden, Richard levitated above the vast black trench. His face was ashen, his hand shook as he clutched his sword. The oppressive aura in the air was palpable, holding all players and soldiers present in a mute terror. They felt as if they were aboard a tiny raft, adrift on a seemingly placid ocean, uncertain when the storm would break.

Time ebbed away.

Abruptly, Richard’s fury reached its breaking point. His handsome face contorted in anger, his mouth opened wide to emit a deafening roar. The outburst was met with a crushing wave of pressure that swiftly enveloped everyone.

Thump!

Many people buckled under the force, their bodies yielding to their knees. Even some of the stronger individuals hesitated before surrendering to the weight. In this tense atmosphere, they could do nothing but succumb, unsure if their king’s wrath would result in a death sentence. The players were the quickest to kneel.

Only S.K.Y. and Taurus remained upright, their bodies rigid as if cast from iron. The duo exchanged confused glances. Although Richard’s fury was indeed fearsome, the physical weight of it failed to affect them. It was as if some unseen force shielded them.

After a quick exchange, they concluded that Taurus’ [Shadow Horn] might be the cause. Yet, anyone observing closely would notice an ominous aura rising from S.K.Y.’s shadow, rapidly absorbing Richard’s oppressive force. This peculiar phenomenon, however, went unnoticed by the enraged Richard.

His rage persisted for a while longer before gradually receding. He finally found his calm. ‘I let her escape. This is bad, very bad. If I’m not mistaken, Alicia must have broken her curse. If I allow her even a few more days to regain her strength, my throne could be at stake. I cannot let that happen. I’ll deploy every resource in the kingdom, eliminate her, and put an end to this menace!’

With this resolution, Richard descended to the ground. His calm demeanor now made his recent outburst seem like mere theatrics. Scanning the crowd of kneeling people, he frowned. ‘They can’t even withstand the aura I emit. What a useless bunch.’

As Richard was preparing to retreat to the main hall to attend to his matters, S.K.Y. and Taurus standing aloof caught his attention. ‘They appear to be of average strength, but their mental fortitude and resilience are impressive. They show promise.’

With this thought, Richard summoned the commander of the Direct Army, Blei, entrusted him with certain orders, and took his leave. When Blei informed S.K.Y. and Taurus of their recruitment into the Direct Army, their joy was uncontainable. They were elated, on the verge of soaring with happiness.

Though they were mere foot soldiers, they were now high-ranking officials in the kingdom, earning them significant benefits. As they reveled in their newfound status, their minds were flooded with notifications from the system, making them realize their favorability with the kingdom had skyrocketed.

They knew well the power of connections. Being high-ranking officials in the kingdom would allow them to expand their influence swiftly in Jade City.

“Hahahaha, if we continue progressing like this, we will soon have the power to slay the Black-hearted Princess!” S.K.Y. laughed with unhinged excitement.

“Hahahaha! The artifact, unique crates, and all those epic equipment will be ours!” Taurus echoed, his joy childish and unrestrained.

Meanwhile, in the wilderness.

“Alicia, what are your plans moving forward?” Yaeger inquired Alicia while toying with her long hair on the [City of Chaos]. The city, deserted and shrouded in darkness, had lost its allure after a short exploration, leading them all outside to appreciate the natural landscape.

“I’m searching for a safe haven outside to recuperate. Jade City has become too perilous,” Alicia responded.

Yaeger nodded, understanding Alicia’s predicament. While Alicia had numerous secret refuges in Jade City to dodge Richard, continuously hiding would inevitably hamper her recovery. Thus, it would be better to stay in the wilderness, focusing on absorbing her inheritance and healing at a quicker pace.

“Why not recuperate here, in the [City of Chaos]?” Yaeger suggested.

Alicia considered the proposition momentarily. She knew of the [City of Chaos]’ capabilities, its stealth and short-range teleportation making it an exceptional hideout. If found, they could escape instantly, transforming it into an ideal mobile fortress for assassins and thieves. Despite the perks, Alicia shook her head.

“It’s a flawless sanctuary, but regrettably, I recover faster in environments abundant with wood and earth elemental auras,” she explained.

Hearing this, Yaeger surveyed their surroundings, the bleak, void-like landscape was devoid of even a hint of earth elemental aura, let alone wood.

“What a pity,” Yaeger remarked, shrugging with a wistful smile.

“I should leave soon. The one who’s supposed to pick me up is nearby,” Alicia said, her purple transmission orb glowing faintly, indicating her ongoing communication with members of the [Hidden Kill]. It was crucial for her to regain her strength promptly. The sooner she regained her full potential, the more advantageous it would be for both her and Yaeger.

“Alright. Little Blue, transport us down,” Yaeger instructed, directing her gaze towards the diminutive Artifact Soul nearby.

“Coming!” Little Blue responded, diverting her attention from elsewhere and floating towards them.

A flash of white light enveloped everyone, as a faint spatial energy radiated around them. The next moment, they found themselves in the wilderness.

“You can also teleport short distances,” Yaeger noted, surprised. She had assumed Little Blue would land the [City of Chaos] to let Alicia disembark.

“As long as we’re not far from the main city, I can teleport you anywhere by consuming some energy,” Little Blue explained.

“It’s really convenient,” Alicia conceded.

After a brief chat, a group of individuals approached them. “I’ll return as soon as I can,” Alicia assured Yaeger, her gaze thoughtful.

“I’ll be here, waiting for you,” Yaeger responded serenely.

Alicia started to say something else but faltered. Unexpectedly, she leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss on Yaeger’s left cheek, then turned to leave swiftly.

Everyone was taken aback.

In the real world, it caused an uproar.

“Succubus!” Nangong exclaimed.
‘Succubus!’ Rakshasa echoed silently.
Once again, their thoughts were in sync.

“Was I… violated?” Yaeger asked, her expression unruffled as she touched her cheek.

But internally, she mused, ‘sigh, being beautiful is truly a sin!’

Once back in the [City of Chaos], everyone started sorting through their spoils. Yaeger opened her inventory interface, her gaze falling on the [Angel’s Tears]. “Incredible!” she exclaimed.