At the same moment, players worldwide who were paying attention to the changes in the rankings, especially the high-level executives of the major Factions, witnessed the refresh of the Hunter leaderboard.
When the simple character [Night] controversially parachuted into the top spot, pushing the previously Dragon Country's proud [Purple Blaze] down to second place, it once again alarmed many players in the Hunter camp.
Dragon Country, inside a highly confidential strategic conference room.
The atmosphere was heavy. Several elderly men wearing General Stars and powerful individuals with calm auras stared at the glaring character [Night] on the projection screen, their brows tightly furrowed.
"I didn't expect America to be hiding such a card."
A stern-faced Old General said in a deep voice. They had all witnessed Luna's talent and growth Speed, and they didn't expect him to be suppressed by this suddenly appearing [Night].
What exactly is the background of this person? And how powerful must they be!?
"In the top ten of the rankings, America occupies three spots, we have three, India has two, and England and Japan each have one."
An elegant, middle-aged man wearing glasses analyzed.
"On the surface, we haven't fallen too far behind in terms of top-tier combat power. But the significance of the first-place position is extraordinary. It represents the symbol of the strongest current power and will influence the judgment of many wavering Factions and talents."
"There is no need to be overly anxious."
The elderly man sitting in the main seat, who had been silent all this time, spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable power.
"America's foundation is indeed profound, but their social structure is more fragmented under the impact of the Game, making internal integration much more difficult than ours."
"Our greatest advantage is the massive reserve of resources brought by our huge population base. The immediate priority is not to dwell on the rankings, but to utilize our demographic dividend and the order we have initially established to seize the initiative on the Trading Platform."
"Concentrate resources and strive to secure core plots on several major platforms, building our own trade and information centers. If necessary... we can even try to monopolize a single platform!"
"Yes!"
Everyone looked serious and responded quickly.
"Furthermore,"
the elder added.
"Strengthen intelligence gathering on [Night]. At the same time, contact other potential Solo Hunters on the leaderboard, especially those ranked highly. Dragon Country needs more top-tier power."
Similar discussions and analyses were simultaneously taking place among the decision-makers of major Factions worldwide.
The name [Night], the moment it reached the top of the rankings, instantly became a global focal point... Trading Platform, Corridor One.
The clamorous noise instantly rushed over.
Lilith's petite figure suddenly appeared in a relatively uncrowded corner at the edge of the corridor.
She appeared silently, but her cold temperament, which seemed incompatible with the surroundings, and her visually striking appearance quickly attracted the attention of people nearby.
"Huh? Where did that kid come from? She's only seven or eight, how did she get here?"
"White hair and red eyes? Mixed race? Or the effect of a Talent?"
"That outfit... it's not simple. Is she a player? But she looks too young..."
"Shh! Don't stare! How could anyone who appears here be an ordinary child? Be careful!"
Low whispers sounded among the small groups nearby.
Those gazes were filled with curiosity, scrutiny, vigilance, and even a faint trace of... astonishment and doubt.
They came from all over the world, with different skin colors and experiences.
Many still carried the hostility or numbness of struggling through the apocalypse.
But at this moment, their attention was all drawn to this suddenly appearing little girl.
In this Main God Game, which restricts players to those aged 18 and above, a girl who looks to be only seven or eight years old is the greatest anomaly.
Combined with her rare snow-white long hair and ruby-like eyes, almost everyone immediately concluded that she was definitely a player, and quite possibly a powerful Hunter!
Having survived three dungeons without being eliminated, these people clearly wouldn't view any player appearing on this Trading Platform with the mindset they had before the Game descended.
Lilith seemed oblivious to the focused gazes around her.
Her ruby-like eyes scanned the noisy crowd and stalls, filtering out useless information with radar-like precision.
Immediately, she sent a concise message to William via the system's built-in communication.
[Location.]
Soon, Lilith received William's reply.
[Platform One, near Plot A-07 in the Plaza. Currently surveying the land.]
Lilith closed the communication, took a step, looked at the map displayed on the system page, and walked toward the Plaza.
As she began to move, the reactions of the crowd, who had initially only been looking out of curiosity, subtly changed.
Some of the people standing close instinctively took half a step back, subconsciously clearing a path for her.
It wasn't fear, but a kind of instinctive avoidance of potential danger.
The icy aura naturally emanating from her petite figure as she walked sent a slight chill down the spines of these players who had struggled through life-and-death situations.
Lilith walked in military boots on the polished corridor floor, producing crisp and regular sounds. Her snow-white long hair swayed slightly behind her, and her ruby vertical pupils stared straight ahead, indifferent to everything on either side.
The sound of people swallowing was faintly audible in the crowd.
Lilith walked steadily through the automatically parting crowd, her eyes fixed straight ahead.
Where she passed, the noisy discussions quieted down, as if temporarily frozen by an invisible chill.
Only after her figure disappeared at the entrance of the bridge leading to the Plaza did the people remaining feel as if they had breathed a sigh of relief, experiencing a feeling of coming back to life.
"My god... those eyes, it was like being stared at by some Prehistoric Fierce Beast..."
"Definitely a Hunter! And her level isn't low!"
"When she looked over just now, my heart skipped a beat..."
"She's such a cute little loli, yet I couldn't harbor any inappropriate thoughts in front of her. It's terrifying."
"Quick, post the news in the Regional Channel! A mysterious white-haired, red-eyed loli Hunter has appeared on Platform One!"
Almost the moment Lilith left the corridor, Platform One's regional chat channel was instantly flooded!
"Coordinates (1023, 774)! An ultra-cute white-haired, red-eyed little loli has appeared!"
"I saw her, I saw her! Her aura was incredibly cold! She was wearing Gothic Military Uniform and military boots!"
"Does anyone know her? Which Faction is she from? I really want to join them."
"Please tell us!"
"Please tell us!"
"Please tell us!"
"Need more information! Did anyone manage to take a photo?"
"The system prohibits secretly taking photos, but she headed toward the Plaza! Is anyone going to follow her?"
Speculation, curiosity, excitement, and vigilance—various emotions fermented in the Regional Channel.
Lilith's brief appearance caused quite a ripple on Platform One.
The informants placed here by many Factions have already begun rapidly relaying the information about the appearance of a mysterious high-value target back to their respective headquarters.
However, all this commotion was irrelevant to Lilith, who had already stepped into the Plaza area.
Ahead were the neatly planned Plaza plots, and the towering Wanxiang Celestial Tower.
William was waiting for her there.
SP: I'm out of reserves. I'll post two chapters today, and since I've already quit my job, I'll make up the rest tomorrow.