John was dumbfounded, staring at Black Turtle. Was this old man serious?
“John, I think the senior’s idea isn’t bad!” Sini chimed in, winking at John in agreement.
John was at a loss for words. What kind of people were around him?
Before he could respond, Black Turtle turned to Princess Ada, wearing a sycophantic smile. “Ah, Princess, we are honored to serve you.”
John looked at the old man with disdain.
Hearing Black Turtle’s words, Ada’s arrogance intensified. She lifted her chin and
commanded, “Now tell me about the current state of the continent.”
The group exchanged glances. Skyline Continent was now under the control of Dark Humans, with various races reduced to their minions.
Tragically, the human race had been almost wiped out.
Those who didn’t submit to Dark Humans, like the elves, struggled to survive in the shadows.
Black Turtle didn’t relay the harsh reality. Instead, he painted a chaotic picture of the continent, emphasizing how all races longed for the return of Gates Empire’s rule, praising its kindness and strength.
His flattery was so excessive that even the elves around them couldn’t stand it, casting scornful looks.
While the Gates Empire had indeed been powerful, it was far from benevolent, having oppressed other races frequently.
Yet, Ada seemed pleased, smiling and nodding in approval.
John regretted agreeing to Black Turtle’s plan. This woman seemed rather foolish; even if the Gates Empire still existed, it would likely fall under her rule.
He sighed, scrutinizing Ada. She appeared to be a human, unlike the Dark Humans.
Curious, John asked, “Anna, are there other humans in this world?”
“Yes,” Anna nodded, explaining softly, “The Gates Empire was the pinnacle of human power, but it lasted less than a century. The empire fragmented into dozens of factions, constantly at war. Later, when the gods and Dark Humans arrived, humans were nearly exterminated. Those who survived went into hiding.”
John listened to Anna’s explanation with a grave expression.
If he couldn’t stop the Dark Humans and gods, humanity on Earth might face a similar fate. Ding!
Just then, his private chat notification sounded. It was Ritchie.
Ritchie: “Boss, all members of the Flame Legion have reached the second tier. The blood-red demon wolf has agreed to help us. As for the city location, I chose a spot between the newbie village and Jade City. The monsters there are weak, so it won’t be too hard to fend off the monster tide.”
John read Ritchie’s message. It was good news.
But the location choice was problematic.
The area between Jade City and the newbie village had weak monsters, which wouldn’t be beneficial for future development.
Godslayer: “Change the location to the Dark Forest. We’ll establish the city tomorrow.”
He sent Ritchie the coordinates of the demon city in the Land of Darkness.
That city had complete structures, all of which were high-level.
The warehouse also contained a large quantity of materials and items that could enhance the soldiers’ strength.
Despite the powerful monsters in the Dark Forest, with the help of Black Turtle and the blood-red demon wolf, defending against the monster tide wouldn’t be an issue.
John wasn’t willing to give up that city.
Ritchie saw John’s message. Though it seemed risky, he didn’t refuse.
Ritchie: “Boss, should we announce it publicly?”
Godslayer: “Of course. We need to know who our enemies are.”
He intended to use this opportunity to uncover and deal with any hostile forces lurking around.
…
Meanwhile, Black Turtle and Princess Ada were still engrossed in their discussion.
John looked at the princess sympathetically.
If she ever gained power, having a sycophant like Black Turtle by her side would surely doom her reign.
Turning to Sini and Tracy, John said, “Let’s head out.”
Anna quickly interjected, “Benefactor, I want to go out as well.”
Death Land served as a refuge for the elves, but staying there constantly was inconvenient.
After some thought, John handed the Death Land token to Anna, making it easier for her to come and go while ensuring the elves’ safety.
Since Anna hadn’t entered the Secret Area, she couldn’t leave with John and the others. “Let’s go,” John called to the two women, and with a thought, they left Death Land and returned to the Gates Empire Treasure Secret Area.
The final reward had already been claimed, and they had even obtained the Earth Vein.
Confirming that there were no other treasures, John led the group out of the underground palace, reunited with Avis, and teleported away.
The Secret Area wasn’t a permanent space. Once the exploration was completed or failed, it would disappear entirely.
Perhaps the hidden space with the Earth Vein might have remained.
But now that the Earth Vein had been moved to Death Land, that mysterious space
disappeared along with the Secret Area.
They reappeared in the Eternal Forest.
A few wandering Orcs spotted John’s group and charged at them with angry roars.
John dismissed them with a wave of his hand, casting Rain of Fire, and they were instantly defeated.
“Old man, I need to advance,” Tracy said, looking at John with pleading eyes, remembering her advancement task.
“Alright, let’s find a three-star elite boss for you to kill,” John agreed readily. Finding a three-star elite boss in this area wasn’t difficult.
Tracy cheered, pulling Sini along as they eagerly followed John.
Tracy wasn’t as focused on increasing her strength as she was on finally being able to wear the dress and necklace John had given her.
As they wandered through the forest, they eventually arrived at the abandoned Land of Elves.
John paused, staring at the Land of Elves, an idea forming in his mind.
The Land of Elves was a secluded, permanent space, unfortunately damaged by the Orcs,
leaving an opening.
However, it could still be a place to establish a city.
He thought of the Blues Family; the Land of Elves would be an ideal location for them.
If a temple existed there, it would also be a strategic point to monitor the movements of Eternal Forest beasts and the gods.
…
Before long, they found a level 65 elite Orcs leader.
With John’s help, Tracy managed to kill the Orcs leader, successfully advancing to a three-star
Spirit Priest.
She then climbed to the second position on the level ranking, with John holding the top spot
at level 63.
As levels increased, so did the amount of experience required for each subsequent level, noticeably slowing John’s progress.
This was also due to sharing experience points with the two women.
Meanwhile, Sini reached level 49, just one level short of making it onto the leaderboard.
Tracy eagerly changed into her Divine Heart set.
The blue dress accentuated her impressive figure, and the heart-shaped necklace on her chest made her even more striking.
She twirled in delight, her skirt fluttering, before jumping in front of John, exclaiming, “Old man, this dress is so beautiful. I’ve decided never to change my equipment again.”
“As long as you’re happy,” John replied, not saying much more. While this three-star rare set
was powerful now, it would lose its edge in the later stages of the game.
But for women, beauty often took precedence over practicality.
Beside them, Sini watched Tracy dancing gracefully, her eyes shifting as she calculated
something in her mind.
She turned to John and said, “John, since we’re establishing the city tomorrow, let’s log off tonight and get some proper rest.”
John looked at Sini, feeling that she had something on her mind, but he didn’t refuse and
nodded in agreement.
The group rode Avis, the black dragon, back to Jade City before logging off.
…
News of Ritchie’s plan to establish a city quickly spread among various factions.
The Mike White Family had the most significant reaction.
Mike White’s top warrior, Gaia, had been killed and sent back to the beginner’s village and
hadn’t managed to leave since.
In recent days, Gaia’s mental state had deteriorated, and he was even talking about quitting
the game.
Meanwhile, Dark Angel and other strong players had been targeted after their failed ambush on John and were too afraid to leave the beginner’s village.
Mike White’s ranks were quickly thinning out of viable fighters.
In Green Hill City, an estate built against a mountain was the most luxurious and grandiose
residence in the city.
This was Mike White’s private property, reportedly purchased for over ten million gold coins.
Among all the major factions, only the Mike White Family had the audacity to spend such a fortune on a relatively useless estate in the world of Gods.
In the study of the estate, a handsome, tall man listened to his subordinate’s report.
This was Toby Mike White, the future leader of the Mike White Family.
“Those two again, Godslayer and Ritchie!” Toby gritted his teeth, seething over the losses
these two had caused him.
He had always wanted to eliminate them.
But he found himself outmatched in the world of Gods.
In the real world, Ritchie had military backing, making any move against him risky.
As for Godslayer, Toby could never trace his whereabouts.
Ever since he began assuming more family responsibilities, Toby had never suffered such
significant setbacks.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Struggling to control his fury, he looked
at his hunched subordinate and asked again, “You’re saying they’re planning to establish a city in the dark forest outside Silverleaf City, a level 2 city?”
The subordinate nodded, bowing respectfully, “Yes, that’s the information they’ve released.”
“Fools!” Toby sneered, knowing the strength of the monster tide.
The last time Gaia tried to establish a city, the monster tide was weak only because of Green
Moon City’s assistance. For that, he had paid a hefty price and acknowledged the newly established Imperial City as a subsidiary of Green Moon City.
Toby knew Ritchie’s character well and was certain that he would never side with the Dark Humans. This meant they would have to face the monster tide alone.
Toby felt confident that Ritchie would fail without him having to lift a finger.
However, what he desired was the satisfaction of revenge.
Looking at his subordinate, Toby said, “I remember that Godslayer has a grudge with the
Griffin Family from the Ancient Martial Arts clan. Contact them and other factions to stir up some trouble for Ritchie and his group.”
“Yes, sir!” The subordinate answered promptly and respectfully withdrew. Toby’s expression remained grim. After dealing with Ritchie and his group, he knew he needed to establish his own power and secure a foothold in the world of Gods.
…
Besides the Mike White Family, various factions reacted, especially those already hostile towards John.