"Then it's settled."
Xu Feiyan spoke softly as she shifted her amber-colored gaze toward the tabletop, where red and blue game pieces had already been neatly divided into two groups.
"Mm."Kurose Akira nodded. The two of them had already reached a consensus on how to allocate personnel between the two battlefields.
Lucia, Loserine, Delorie, Kailin, Guren, and Azkman would form one team, heading together to one battlefield.
Meanwhile, Mare Rhein, Ivsha, Alice, the cat-eared sisters, Lanlan, and Pettico would fight side by side on the other battlefield.
Judging purely from the lineup, the average combat strength of the two teams appeared evenly matched.
That was—assuming Pettico wasn't taken into account.
Because of the confidentiality contract signed between Akira and Xu Feiyan, he had been allowed to gain insight into part of the Immortal Concubine Guild's true strength.
Eight guild members.Six of Epic rarity.Two of Legendary rarity.
Among tens of thousands of players, such a lineup was unquestionably top-tier.
However, according to Xu Feiyan herself, aside from Guren and Delorie, all the other members of the Immortal Concubine Guild had been acquired by spending enormous sums to poach them from other players' guilds.
After all, in many people's eyes, this was "just a game"—a game that could generate hundreds of thousands, even millions, in real-world income.
Who wouldn't be tempted?
When Akira learned that Xu Feiyan had poured nearly a hundred million into this game, even he couldn't help but feel shocked.
Yet what he didn't realize was that when Xu Feiyan heard that most of Akira's guild members had been obtained through recruitment, she was even more shaken.
In her understanding, burning through dozens of rare blue recruitment scrolls to obtain a single Legendary adventurer was already absurdly good luck.
And yet—
Akira had recruited multiple Legendary adventurersusing nothing but the recruitment scrolls rewarded from advancement evaluations.
So basically—
I whale with money, and you whale with your life, huh?
"Still," Xu Feiyan reminded him, "your adventurers haven't reached level fifty yet. You must be extremely cautious on the battlefield. If you encounter danger, do not act rashly."
"Mm. Thank you for your concern, Guild Master Xu."Akira nodded in response.
But deep down, he was full of confidence in Lucia and the others.He firmly believed that his guild members were in no way inferior to those of the Immortal Concubine Guild.
The only one who might represent a genuine gap—
Was the vampire adventurer named Pettico.
Within the Immortal Concubine Guild, her level stood alone at an astonishing level 70.
Still—
That was only a difference in level.
By comparison, Delorie—also of Legendary rarity—was only level 59.Clearly, Xu Feiyan had poured an enormous amount of resources into Pettico. Of course, recruitment timing also played a role.
No wonder Guren had once admitted that even ten versions of herself wouldn't be a match for Pettico.
That statement hadn't been an exaggeration.
"Then let's head out first," Xu Feiyan said.
"Mm."
The two of them left the room and issued departure orders to their respective teams.
"Everyone—it's time to depart!"
Xu Feiyan addressed the members of the Immortal Concubine Guild.
"I'll be waiting here at the guild for your victorious return. Stay safe, my children."
"Yes, Guild Master!"
Akira also turned to Lucia and the others.
"Remember—safety always comes first. Every action must be taken only after ensuring your own safety."
"Understood, Mr. Akira."
"Master, please don't worry."
Ivsha and the others responded one after another.
"Then—let's move out!"
"Mhm!"
"Guild Master, just wait here for our triumphant return!"
The adventurers of both guilds stepped into the teleportation arrays, heading toward the two high-risk demon lairs.
At the same time, Lu Bo and the others also dispatched adventurers of their own to provide support.
Their goal wasn't to exterminate the demon clans inside the lairs.
Rather—
It was to ensure that Xu Feiyan and Akira would not be interfered with by adventurers from other guilds during the process.
As white light flared from the teleportation arrays, thirteen adventurers vanished from the Immortal Concubine Guild.
The guild hall was left with only Xu Feiyan, Kurose Akira, and Virola.
After the adventurers departed, Xu Feiyan gracefully sat down on the sofa. With a gentle wave of her jade-like hand, several blue holographic panels unfolded before her eyes.
Displayed on them—
Were the real-time viewpoints of the Immortal Concubine Guild's adventurers.
Then Xu Feiyan turned her gaze toward Akira, lightly patting the sofa beside her.
"Come, sit for a bit. There's still some time before the demon lairs officially open."
"Mm."
Akira nodded and sat down about half a meter away from her.
With a thought, he opened the viewpoint panels for his own guild members.
At this moment, Lucia and the others had already arrived at the locations of the high-danger demon lairs.
The environments of the two lairs were strikingly distinct—
One was situated deep within a frigid, snow-covered mountain range.The other lay amid the searing heat of an active volcano.
Because of the treacherous terrain, very few guild masters personally came to oversee this demon-lair suppression.
Though—
There were always a few daring exceptions.
As for the adventurers gathered at the two sites, their numbers hovered around two to three hundred.
But if divided by faction, it was mainly three major camps, along with several smaller, unaffiliated guilds.
In terms of raw strength, however—
Their side clearly held the advantage.
Especially Xu Feiyan's level-70 Legendary vampire Pettico, who stood as an overwhelming presence on the battlefield.
There was still some time before the demon lairs officially opened.
Xu Feiyan gently twirled her fingers, and several differently colored tea leaves appeared atop the counter.
Smiling, she asked, "Would you like something to drink?"
"No need, thank you."Akira shook his head, politely declining.
He'd already had two cups of Life Green Tea and felt perfectly satisfied.
"There's no need to be so restrained here," Xu Feiyan said as she began skillfully brewing the tea.
Her voice was soft and sincere.
"Although we've only met a few times, my impression of you is fairly good. Compared to men who are all sweet talk or blatant flattery, you feel… more genuine."
"I-is that so?"
Akira lightly pinched the bridge of his nose, a faint smile forming at the corner of his lips.
"Still~ a bit green. You need more experience and composure."
As she spoke, Xu Feiyan finished brewing the tea. A rich aroma immediately filled the guild hall, refreshing and soothing to the senses.
"Wow, that smells amazing!"
Virola skipped over with light steps, curiosity shining in her eyes as she stared at the fragrant cup of tea.
"Would you like to try some?" Xu Feiyan asked.
"Mhm~!"
"Here."
"Thank you~"
Virola happily cradled the cup, gently blowing away the steam before taking careful sips.
A satisfied, blissful smile spread across her face.
At that moment—
On the branch she was holding, a tender green fruit quietly sprouted.
She plucked it and handed it to Xu Feiyan.
"This—for you."
Xu Feiyan froze for a brief moment, then a warm smile bloomed across her face.
She accepted the gift with gratitude.
"Thank you."
[Green Rainbow Fruit (?): Heals one non-fatal injury!]
"This gift is truly precious~"
After witnessing the fruit's miraculous effect, Xu Feiyan's expression lit up with delighted surprise.
"A gift of such value deserves an appropriate return."
She reached into her pocket and took out an exquisite box.
Opening it carefully, she revealed a vivid, lustrous red jade bead resting inside.
Akira's gaze was involuntarily drawn to it, and a system prompt appeared before his eyes:
[Vampire Blood Jade Bead (?): A consumable that restores HP!(You may obtain the Bond Trait — Partner — through this item.)]