In the Border Town square, an unprecedented large-scale recruitment was underway.
Led by the Minos Guild’s Frontier Chapter, a passionate speech was delivered regarding the fall of the Holy Court and the protection of the town.
The speech was broadcast throughout the town, targeting all adventurers above Level 15, as well as all newbie adventurers in Border Town.
“After emergency consideration, for all adventurers above Level 15 who have not yet advanced, the Minos Guild will directly provide the required advancement materials. If you accept this proposal, you must cooperate with the guild in the town’s security work until the road to the main city of Soronwell is cleared.”
Atar, the president of the Minos Guild’s Frontier Chapter, stood on the high platform in the center of the square, facing the adventurers gathered below.
After a night of gathering, every adventurer above Level 15 that Border Town could muster had assembled here.
A total of thirty-two people, seven adventurer teams.
The two strongest of them would serve as leaders alongside his guild team, taking charge of Border Town’s defense.
Though tonight’s events were sudden, as a member of the only Minos Guild leadership on the continent, he wasn’t entirely without warning.
But compared to those distant rumors and reports, what he saw before him was enough to explain everything.
The Nvshen’s barrier had disappeared, monsters were rampaging, and a dungeon had appeared in the eastern forest, blocking the route to the outside world.
Every single thing was enough to indicate the severity of the situation.
Atar wasted no words.
He said only, “Those who agree, stay. Those who disagree will also receive our protection. Furthermore, this advancement condition will remain in effect until the dungeon is cleared. All adventurers can come to the guild to collect advancement materials after reaching Level 15, until local supplies are exhausted.”
Not a single adventurer left the audience.
As dawn broke and the curfew was lifted, even more low-level adventurers began joining the ranks.
Atar felt deeply relieved.
This was Border Town.
The new adventurers assigned here by the Nvshen naturally possessed such a sense of mission.
But a sense of mission alone wasn’t enough.
The adventurer teams needed to be strong.
Atar’s gaze fell on the two teams at the very front of the crowd.
Both teams had not reached their maximum size; each had only four members.
Nevertheless, they were still the strongest in Border Town.
Still, Atar hoped they would accept new teammates, or have that rumored figure rejoin their team.
“Ao Li An Na, Yi Li Sha Bai, you are the leaders. The decision on team composition is yours, but this is a special situation. I want your teams to be in peak condition at all times.”
Ao Li An Na remained silent.
She looked at her adventurer panel and shook her head.
That person hadn’t replied to her message.
She turned to look at the other teammates beside her.
The other three also shook their heads helplessly.
Come to think of it, once Li Si left a team, she never seemed to contact her former teammates again.
Ao Li An Na turned to look at Yi Li Sha Bai.
This was a team chosen by the Nvshen just like theirs.
Led by Imperial Princess Yi Li Sha Bai, it consisted of Beowuna, the eldest granddaughter of the Dragon Knight, Mei Lin, the senior disciple of the Imperial Archmage, and Hilla, the dwarf princess.
A powerful team.
Back when that person was still in their team, they too had been called the strongest adventurer team in Border Town.
Since Li Si left, their situation hadn’t seemed to fluctuate much.
But getting back to their former peak would probably be difficult.
“The Nvshen’s power has disappeared, and the rules about unity have changed. Those who left no longer need to wait three months to rejoin. But Li Si doesn’t seem to want to talk to us anymore.”
Yi Li Sha Bai looked at her silent friend message and sighed, “I heard she’s still Level 10. I was thinking of being generous and taking her leveling up with me. But now it looks like she’s really arrogant.”
Ao Li An Na frowned.
She had the same thought, after all, with the Resurrection Power gone, helping Li Si get stronger as a former teammate could be considered a form of protection.
But hearing those words from Yi Li Sha Bai’s mouth made her inexplicably uncomfortable.
“Ao Li An Na, how is it on your end?”
Yi Li Sha Bai tucked a strand of elegant blond hair behind her ear and gestured toward the glow of Ao Li An Na’s panel.
“The same. Li Si isn’t replying.”
“Hah, I thought you two had a good relationship. Turns out it’s nothing special.”
“What are you talking about? You guys are the ones—every time you return to the safe zone, you greet Li Si. I thought after you kicked her out of the group, you were still friends with her.”
A pair of cat ears twitched slightly beside Ao Li An Na.
He Zi flicked her cat tail and retorted in dissatisfaction.
“She?”
A cold, holy voice suddenly cut in fiercely.
He Zi felt as if something had stung her face.
She turned her head and saw a gaze from silver pupils, sharp as a sword.
For an instant, He Zi had the illusion that she had met this gaze not long ago.
She shivered.
She remembered.
This look was very similar to Li Si’s.
About the fact that Li Si was a girl, she didn’t want to tell anyone.
She withdrew her gaze, put on the cold pride of an assassin, and said flatly, “A slip of the tongue. Mei Lin, what do you mean by staring at me like that?”
“Just a slip of the tongue?”
Mei Lin withdrew her gaze.
A strand of holy white hair fell over the corner of her eye.
She looked thoughtful.
“Everyone, thank you for your unity. From today, let us face this upheaval together. I believe that when everything is over, the Holy Court will return to its place, and the Nvshen will surely bring those unmoving bodies back to life!”
The impassioned conclusion from the platform interrupted the subtle tension filled with gunpowder.
He Zi crossed her arms, standing alone with her tall figure.
She suddenly felt she didn’t like the team atmosphere anymore.
Ever since she came back from a brush with death, everyone seemed to care about Li Si’s safety, but no one mentioned making her leave the team anymore, as if she really was just deadweight.
On the surface, Li Si was only Level 10, a world apart from all of them who were Level 15 and had already advanced.
But was that really the case?
He Zi fell silent, recalling every moment she had teamed up with Li Si, and then thinking of Li Si’s prophetic words by the lake last night.
“The Holy Court’s power is receding. The Nvshen’s barrier has vanished.”
At that time, the anomaly had just begun.
The full announcement hadn’t appeared yet, but Li Si’s tone had been so certain.
He Zi felt that Li Si was extraordinary.
Compared to these teammates who had forgotten why they chose to team up with Li Si in the first place, she remembered vividly that it was precisely because of Li Si’s insight and combat ability, like a prophet, that everyone unhesitatingly chose to team up with her.
Moreover, before everyone had advanced, this town once had an existence called the strongest adventurer.
So how could Li Si suddenly become nothing just because they had advanced?
“He Zi, you have the best relationship with Li Si. Has she still not replied to you?” Ao Li An Na’s voice drifted in from the side.
He Zi glanced at her panel, looking at the gray message box, and shook her head without speaking.
Suddenly, her peripheral vision sharpened.
Her shaking head paused.
She said she had something to do, flashed, and vanished instantly.
Ao Li An Na looked doubtfully in the direction He Zi had disappeared.
There was nothing there—only a flash of silver light, seemingly from a girl’s hair.
When she looked again, the silver light had already turned into the commercial street.
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