The battle looked more like a massacre—at least in Lili's eyes. Or perhaps that was simply the view of someone like her, a supporter with no combat ability.
Those adventurers who had once oppressed her—now they had no means to resist.
The scene unfolding before her eyes was of those same bullies from the Soma Familia being utterly slaughtered by Liang Yue.
To be precise, it was that Liang Yue's strength far exceeded her imagination!
Her impression of him had been someone who ventured alone into the deep levels of the dungeon, using his unique traits to attract swarms of Murder Ants, even taking on rare monsters like the Blue Butterfly by himself.
Because of that, she had always estimated Liang Yue's strength to be at least that of a Level 2 adventurer. So when Zanis asked him that final question—
The answer they got was something she had never imagined.
As she looked toward the reliable figure standing before her, questioning Zanis, Lili forced herself not to say what was on her mind.
"This guy… can he really be just a Level 1 adventurer?"
She took a deep breath and glanced down at the bloodstained scene below. When she looked back again, she noticed something strange in Zanis's terrified expression.
Though he appeared to be retreating, his right hand was actually hidden behind his back.
The confusion in her expression instantly vanished, replaced by a deep sense of dread. She quickly warned Liang Yue, "Watch out for that guy!"
"Too late!!"
As the captain of the Soma Familia, Zanis's rise to power had never been clean. Managing a Familia didn't require dungeon exploration.
But that didn't mean his adventurer level was fake.
Even if he couldn't wrap his head around how Liang Yue, just a Level 1, could wield such overwhelming power, the fear gripping his heart gave way to hatred—and that hatred surged forth in an instant.
Zanis had always carried a small crossbow hidden on him, a habit born of paranoia, regardless of how much he trusted his subordinates.
Now, with enough distance between them and the timing just right—
Zanis pulled out the miniature crossbow hidden behind him and pulled the trigger, a twisted smile contorting his face.
"Rookie adventurer?"
"Your biggest mistake is—"
Fwip!
"!!"
But faster than the bolt could fly was the instinct Liang Yue had honed under the dungeon's relentless pressure. His danger sense kicked in immediately.
He leapt back, drawing his blade in a downward arc. A slash infused with shimmering white energy tore through the air, shredding the bolt mid-flight.
As for Zanis—
Even as a Level 2 adventurer, he couldn't withstand the sheer force of Liang Yue's backward counterattack. The malicious grin on his face froze as the attack hit.
In his final moments, he looked up subconsciously, his gaze landing on Liang Yue's ever-calm face.
"Talk too much, and you die."
The Soma Familia's divine wine was already considered a gray-market product in Orario, not to mention the fact that Zanis had also been involved in transactions with Xenos.
If there were ever a villain who deserved death, it was him.
Retracting his gaze, Liang Yue gave a light chuckle and looked toward Lili. "Go handle your business."
"Mm."
She realized her worry had been unnecessary, but it was also the first time in years that she had felt her heart tighten like that. The last time was when the flower shop couple got caught up in her affairs.
With one last glance at the Familia members downstairs, who still hadn't dispersed, she turned and headed toward Soma's brewing chamber.
Before she entered, she looked back at Liang Yue, her young face deadly serious.
"As for the payment—"
"I'll come find you after I finish quitting the Familia."
"You're not planning to run anymore?"
"Of course not."
Even faced with Liang Yue's teasing, Lili's voice was firm and resolute. "Because there's still something I haven't accomplished in Orario!"
——
The payment required to leave a Familia—"phalli"—was nothing but a money-grabbing scheme invented by Zanis.
If this followed the original story…
As long as one could pass Soma's trial and resist the mental pull of the divine wine, leaving the Familia would be a simple matter.
That "unfinished business" Lili spoke of? Liang Yue didn't really care.
He leaned on the railing, looking down at the adventurers below.
They hadn't run. That could only mean the divine wine had already completely corroded their souls.
Which was exactly the effect Liang Yue was hoping for.
The constant chaos in Soma Familia had brought out the worst in these adventurers. In a twisted sense, Zanis really had a talent for sealing this trash away.
So now, what should he do with them?
If he followed through on what he had just declared, he'd be walking a razor's edge—and Liang Yue wasn't the kind to hand his enemies a blackmail weapon.
Human nature is fragile.
Letting addicts take charge of the Familia would only lead to further chaos. What if some of them used information to blackmail him through the Guild?
He couldn't rule out that possibility.
No—he had to maintain control.
"Only the dead can keep secrets."
Slaughtering an entire Familia in Orario would be extremely risky. The Guild's intelligence network would trace the source in no time.
More accurately—
Rather than letting this ticking time bomb fester inside Soma Familia, Liang Yue would rather take a gamble—a chance to walk away clean from this swirling storm.
The one who governs the Guild—
Uralos.
As long as the internal affairs of Familias didn't affect Orario's fighting force, Uralos had always turned a blind eye to the predatory actions of Apollo, Freya, and others.
So the plan was simple:
Prove to the Guild that Soma Familia's continued existence would only harm Orario.
And—
That he, with all his stats maxed out and the potential to be the fastest adventurer to reach Level 2, could play a critical role in the future battle against the Black Dragon!
"This really is one hell of a gamble."
But Liang Yue wasn't a gambler by nature.
It was just that, at moments like this, he could feel the rush of blood and emotion. Having decided on a course of action, he no longer lingered on the second-floor balcony.
Confirming there were no other exits besides the main door, he descended the stairs.
At the same time, he addressed the Soma Familia adventurers.
"There's just one thing I don't get—"
"If the divine wine tastes so good, why is it only the rejects that make it to the market?"
"From what I understand…"
"Even the rejects go for 60,000 valis a bottle, right?" he asked, turning to the Level 2 beastman adventurer guarding the door.
Liang Yue's expression was serious.
Sensing an opportunity to show off, the beastman replied, "The brewing ingredients are really expensive. All the good stuff was controlled by Zanis."
"Even we had to pay ridiculous amounts of valis just to get some!!"
Why did he switch sides? Simple.
He was now the strongest in the Familia, which meant he could go from being the one exploited to the one exploiting others.
Being able to drink divine wine freely while squeezing other Familia members—that was the life he wanted.
"Senior… What are you planning?"
"I just think your current method of making money is a bit slow. If the rejects sell for 60,000…"
"What about the real thing?"
Liang Yue casually blocked the exit as he posed the question. His face was grave, his voice laced with a seductive charm.
"You risk your lives every day in the dungeon. How much valis do you make?"
"…"
Everyone knew how dangerous dungeon life was. Liang Yue's simple, direct words left the adventurers speechless.
But not everyone caught the underlying message.
The beastman, not the sharpest tool in the shed, asked dumbly, "If we don't go into the dungeon… how do we get money for the divine wine?"
"Easy."
Clearly, the divine wine had dulled their intelligence. Liang Yue sighed, sounding like a disappointed teacher.
"You're buying divine wine at a fixed price. You set the resale price yourselves. That markup? That's your profit."
"If you sell the wine instead of fighting in the dungeon, wouldn't that be way easier?"
"!!!"
"Senior… You can do that?!"
No one had ever suggested this path to them before—but just a few words from Liang Yue had opened their eyes to a new world.
It was something Zanis would've never allowed.
But now it was laid out before them, plain as day.
They knew how addictive divine wine was. If they could sell it to other adventurers…
The profit would be enormous. Just imagining it made their eyes shine with unrestrained greed.
More money meant more wine!
"Of course."
Liang Yue gave a slight shrug, replying as if it were nothing.
Zanis had understood what kind of chaos would ensue if the genuine divine wine hit the market.
But these addicts? They didn't.
They just wanted more wine, and were making the same mistake every addict makes.
"Times are changing. Tonight, all divine wine will be sold at cost price," Liang Yue announced calmly—and then dropped a bombshell.
"Stock is limited. Anyone want to try?"
If his earlier words had expanded their vision, then this line had outright lit a fire in their hearts.
The shoving and arguing that followed—all to prove their worth—was something you'd only ever see at a job fair in his previous life.
"Me!"
"I've got money!"
"Don't listen to him! I have connections in other Familias— I can get you top prices! Senior, pick me first!"
The beastman—now the strongest in Soma Familia—tried to intimidate the others into backing off, but when he turned to Liang Yue, his face was all flattery.
If he could monopolize the divine wine…
The business potential made him dizzy just thinking about it.
"Take your time…"
As the crowd worked itself into a frenzy from his sugar-coated words, none of them noticed the change in Liang Yue's expression.
He no longer wore that playful smile.
It was time for a little ceremony.
He gestured for the beastman to open the door.
As fresh air rushed in, Liang Yue took a deep breath, feeling the tension finally ease.
He turned toward the other door—partially blocked by a table—and his face hardened.
Gone was the casual look. His eyes were filled with the unshakable resolve to sever ties with evil once and for all.
Without warning, he kicked the table aside.
"Open up! FBL!"
"You're all under suspicion of trafficking highly addictive divine wine!"
The sudden turn of events left the Soma Familia adventurers utterly confused.
Before they could figure out what was happening—
Liang Yue's handsome face was already twisted with righteous indignation as he declared,
"Trying to drag Orario's adventurers down into corruption?! Everything I did tonight—was to save you from yourselves!"
Just don't ask him why you needed saving.
PS: The author sincerely apologizes for the inconsistent updates.
When the book first launched, I was stationed in Guizhou for work. Then I was in Guangdong for a job handover. Tonight I just arrived in Fujian. This entire 3,000-word chapter was written in a paid net café.
I'll do my best to stabilize the schedule from now on. I'm sorry. I'm kneeling here in apology.
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