The entrance to Apocalypse Base.
Rick maintained a professional smile, but his eyes sharply sized up the two visitors, a man and a woman, standing before him.
The man wore a well-tailored white trench coat and possessed a cold, aloof temperament. His keen eyes scanned the internal layout and the state of the personnel within Tianqi.
The young girl had striking platinum-blonde hair and curious deep blue eyes that darted around. Beneath her lively appearance, there was a depth of insight in her gaze that didn't match her age.
Standing together, the two had vastly different vibes: the man was calm and composed, while the girl was spirited and nimble.
However, Rick didn't show the slightest hint of contempt. Both of them were Hunters; their talent and strength went without saying—they were at least on the same level as Lord William and Lord Fenrir.
"You two, please follow me. The Vice Leader will receive you personally."
Rick smiled slightly and stepped aside to lead the way.
The man nodded, while the girl giggled and said thank you.
As they walked through the base, the girl's gaze became even more active. Witnessing the normal lives of ordinary people and Reincarnators within Tianqi, she looked at Rick and asked with lively curiosity.
"Tianqi has been at the center of the storm lately, but I didn't expect the interior to look so peaceful."
Rick maintained his smile throughout.
"Tianqi emphasizes order and efficiency. External disturbances do not affect our internal operations."
"Is that so?"
The girl blinked her azure eyes.
"But I heard that many major factions have united to move against Tianqi. Isn't Tianqi afraid?"
The man in the trench coat walking beside her glanced at Leah but didn't speak, though a flash of understanding crossed his grayish-blue eyes.
This girl seemed innocent and romantic, but in reality, every word she spoke was a probe.
Rick's expression remained unchanged, maintaining his calm and hospitable demeanor.
"Tianqi has its own principles for handling matters. We do not fear challenges, and we welcome true friends."
He led them to a relatively quiet reception room and spoke.
"Please wait here for a moment; the Vice Leader will arrive shortly."
The man and woman entered the reception room and sat down across from each other.
The innocent smile on the girl's face faded slightly, and a light of keen interest flickered in her azure eyes.
Recent news about Tianqi had been causing quite a stir, but she always felt that Tianqi's motives weren't simple.
It was as if everything was being pushed by a pair of giant hands, driving Tianqi into opposition with numerous factions.
Specifically, the fact that the Main God Game was about to open the Trading Platform had become the fundamental fuse for the slaughter between all factions.
Under normal circumstances, if this so-called Trading Platform hadn't opened and the land in the Corridor Plaza hadn't been sold...
A civil war between human factions would have taken at least another two world dungeons to break out.
The man in the trench coat looked at the girl but said nothing.
He had only run into this girl on the road. Since they were heading the same way, they decided to team up.
What he hadn't expected, however, was that this girl was also a Hunter.
If one only looked at the surface, her lively manner could easily make one overlook her identity.
But in this world today, which Hunter was a pushover?
Tianqi currently seemed to be fraught with crises, but as an outsider, he saw things more clearly than others.
Whether it was Tianqi's recent moves to amass Points through large-scale wealth collection or the restaurant incident, these were all just the results Tianqi wanted them to see.
Furthermore, even if the targets had A-Level Talents, a single Hunter wouldn't have let three Reincarnators escape that far while hunting them.
Everything pointed to one thing: Tianqi wanted to lure these people in and deal with them once and for all.
After integrating a City before the last dungeon, Tianqi would definitely be thinking about expansion and reaching into other factions.
But that would inevitably cost a lot of manpower and resources. Moreover, campaigning in other places could easily trigger a siege by surrounding factions; after all, no one wanted to watch Tianqi grow stronger.
This was also why the strongest faction in America, the Sentinel Alliance, hadn't expanded outward and was instead recruiting—not because they didn't want to, but because the variables were too great.
But Tianqi's move directly lured these factions into their own territory to wipe them out. Once successful, the benefits would be unimaginable.
When that time came, the Sentinel Alliance would bound to step in and try to get a piece of the pie.
"It's just a pity we don't know if Tianqi has such a large appetite."
The man murmured in a low voice.
In the face of profit, greed easily clouds the mind. Some people within those allied factions might have noticed this point.
But their voices would eventually be drowned out by the decisions and greed of the many factions.
The reason these factions didn't choose to monopolize Tianqi was precisely because so many people were acting together; even if Tianqi really was a trap, they would have the power to protect themselves.
They were gambling, taking a shot at obtaining massive amounts of Points to step through the gates of the new world. If they lost, they could still unite to become a bargaining chip.
It could be said that both sides were playing a game of chess.
Hearing the man's low murmur, the girl asked curiously.
"As factions that both possess SSS-Rank Hunter, why did you choose Tianqi over the Sentinels? At least the SSS-Rank Hunter of the Sentinel Alliance has been confirmed as real."
The man just glanced at the girl; the innocence in her eyes was merely a layer of disguise to him.
However, he didn't hide his views; he also wanted to see why this girl had chosen Tianqi.
"The Sentinels, being an official faction, must have internal divisions and power struggles."
"Whereas Tianqi grew from a small faction to its current scale. Power and resources should be held in the hands of their own people and won't be as fragmented as in the Sentinel Alliance."
"In Tianqi, there is more room for development. Centralized power and resources mean that decision-making and development won't be hindered by external interference."
The Sentinel Alliance was a faction composed of multiple official entities.
It was bound to be full of power struggles, which was unavoidable. Internal power struggles meant the fragmentation of resources and strength.
Every decision would also be restricted by other cliques.
The girl smiled, revealing two small canine teeth, and her crisp voice rang out in the waiting hall.
"Great minds think alike. And... I always feel that the hidden trump cards Tianqi holds might be thicker than anyone imagines."
As they were chatting, a heavy sound of footsteps came from the end of the corridor, and a powerful aura was approaching the reception room.
The girl and the man sitting in the reception room were both startled and stopped talking. A solemn expression appeared in their eyes.
Because this aura actually made them feel a sense of oppression, as if they were being targeted by a wild beast.
Even though the person hadn't arrived yet, the fact that they could feel such immense pressure and a sense of danger was no longer something a simple Hunter could achieve.
Both of their talents were SS-Rank, but it was precisely because of this that their hearts were so shaken...