"Stop it, Ivsha!"
Realizing something was off, Kurose Akira reacted instantly. With quick reflexes, he cut off Ivsha's little indulgence—retracting the Holy Light at the same time and severing the magic sparks sustaining the spatial ring.
"Ah~ what a shame~"
Ivsha curled her lips into a faint smile. Even though she had only glimpsed the spatial ring's function for a single second, countless… intriguing scenarios had already begun taking shape in her mind, her anticipation for the future quietly blooming.
Aside from her, however, the rest of the guild members fell into an uncanny silence. The shock still rippled through their hearts, refusing to settle.
"Ahem~"
Akira cleared his throat, pulling everyone's attention back.
"That spatial magic just now—I haven't fully mastered it yet. I still need more practice."
"..."
No one responded.
The silence only made things more awkward.
Akira shot a glare at Ivsha, who sat across from him, grinning like an idiot.
This was all that succubus' fault!
"Hehe~ it's certainly… a very interesting kind of magic~"
After a moment, the White Elf Queen's bell-like laughter broke the stillness. She looked at Akira with clear admiration and said,
"Spatial magic is among the most difficult branches of magic to learn. The fact that you've managed to grasp even the basics in such a short time is already proof of your exceptional talent."
"You flatter me, Your Majesty~"
Akira waved his hand with a slightly embarrassed smile. Being praised like that by her made even him feel a bit self-conscious.
"The Queen speaks the truth."
Lucia nodded seriously, adding,
"Spatial magic is exceedingly rare across the Magic Continent. The fact that you've learned it already proves your extraordinary aptitude. If you were to receive guidance from a spatial archmage, your future would be boundless."
"A spatial archmage?"
Akira tilted his head slightly, puzzled.
"Yes." Lucia gave a small nod. "There is only one demigod on the continent who specializes in spatial magic, but there are still a number of spatial archmages. Even so, each one is incredibly rare and invaluable."
"There's actually a demigod specializing in spatial magic?"
Compared to archmages, Akira found himself far more interested in that one demigod.
"There is. And you actually have a certain connection to her."
The White Elf Queen added this with a gentle smile.
"Who?" Akira asked, curiosity piqued.
"The Moonlight Witch," Lucia answered without hesitation.
"Ah?"
Akira's expression stiffened slightly.
He hadn't expected that the demigod specializing in spatial magic… would be the Moonlight Witch.
"The Moonlight Witch?"
As soon as her name came up, it naturally drew Alice's attention. She tightened her grip on the broom in her hands, listening intently to the conversation.
"She is not only a master of spatial magic, but also possesses the Law of Time," the White Elf Queen continued. "The fusion of space and time—the embodiment of the moon's divinity. Though she keeps a low profile, her strength ranks among the very top of all witches."
"So she's that powerful…"
Akira couldn't help but show a look of astonishment. After all, those words came from a queen.
"Of course she is!"
Alice suddenly leapt into Akira's arms, exclaiming excitedly,
"Lady Witch is amazing!"
"Then who's stronger—me or the Moonlight Witch?"
Akira asked with a teasing smile—a classic trick question.
"Th-this… um…"
Alice's little brain couldn't process that fast. She froze, completely unsure how to answer.
"Hahaha, I'm just kidding~"
Akira laughed and ruffled her hair, then added,
"Perfect timing, actually. I have some business with the Moonlight Witch too. Once we're done in the Elven Kingdom, let's all take a trip to the Moon God Empire."
"Really, Master?!"
Alice's eyes lit up instantly, sparkling with excitement.
"Have I ever lied to you?"
"Master is the best~! Master is even better than Lady Witch~!"
"..."
Akira found himself momentarily lost in the flood of praise.
…
As night fell, Akira arranged accommodations for the White Elf Queen before logging out of the game.
When he removed his VR headset, the empty villa felt a little too quiet.
"Hmm…"
Stretching lazily, he wondered what to eat.
He took out his phone and opened a food delivery app.
But the moment he saw the prices of nearby options, his expression darkened.
Even though this place was close to Zhejiang University, everything nearby was ridiculously expensive. Either the food itself was overpriced, or the delivery fees were absurd—even for just two or three kilometers.
"These prices…"
Akira frowned. If this were the old him, he probably wouldn't even be able to afford one proper meal a day.
"Whatever, I'll just grab something simple."
He muttered and ordered a basic fried rice.
Yet even that—plain, with nothing extra added—cost over thirty.
Was it the neighborhood? Or just the fact that it was near a university?
"Hah… maybe I should just cook for myself?"
The thought suddenly crossed his mind. After all, Xu Feiyan's villa had a kitchen.
He headed downstairs.
The kitchen was fully equipped—but what surprised him more was that nearly everything looked brand new.
Clearly, Xu Feiyan wasn't someone who cooked.
Which raised a question.
If she didn't cook… why buy all this equipment?
Next time they met, he'd definitely have to interrogate her about it.
Soon, the delivery arrived.
After finishing his simple dinner, Akira prepared to go to sleep.
Just then, his phone rang.
"Hm?"
He glanced at the screen—it was Xu Feiyan.
"Hello?"
"Akira, are you asleep yet?"
Her voice sounded slightly tense.
"Not yet. What's up?"
"There's been an issue in my guild. Can I ask you for help?"
"Sure."
Akira agreed without hesitation.
"That's great!"
She let out a relieved sigh.
"Petiko will explain the details to you. I can't log into the game right now due to some issues—so I'm entrusting them to you."
"Got it. Don't worry."
"Thanks~"
After hanging up, Akira exhaled softly.
Stretching once more, he logged back into the game.
Since it was already late at night, the guild hall was quiet.
"Who should I take with me…"
After a moment's thought, he headed straight for Loserine's room.
At this hour, she was probably the only one still awake.
As expected, when he arrived, Loserine was there—half-crouched, stretching her body.
"Do you need something?" she asked upon noticing him.
"Come out with me."
"Mm."
She responded without emotion.
Rising to her feet, she donned her armor, picked up her Vowbound Knight's sword from the wall, and followed him.
With a flash of teleportation light, the two arrived at the Immortal Concubine Guild.
The moment they landed, Petiko approached them.
"Guild Master Akira, it's been a while."
"Mm." Akira nodded. "What exactly happened?"
"It's about Honglian," Petiko explained immediately.
"Honglian and Azkman volunteered to join a scouting team in the Elven Kingdom, following the elves to track the Undead Lord's traces."
"By sheer coincidence, their team actually found a fragment of the Undead Lord's aura."
"But on their way back, they were intercepted by an undead army and are now trapped in a ruined ancient city."
"I see…"
Akira quickly grasped the situation.
No wonder Xu Feiyan had sounded so anxious.
"Let's move out. Anyone else coming?"
He glanced around—but saw no other guild members besides Petiko.
"Due to the urgency—and certain complications—I couldn't reach the others," Petiko explained calmly. "But don't worry. I'm very strong."
"..."
Akira paused for a moment.
He knew she was strong.
In fact, she was the strongest member of the Immortal Concubine Guild—accounting for nearly half of its total combat power.
Without overthinking, he said,
"Then let's go."
"Mm."
The three of them set off immediately for the Elven Kingdom to rescue Honglian and Azkman.
…
Meanwhile, beneath the pitch-black night sky—
Dozens of elves hid within the crumbling remains of an ancient city.
Outside, eerie wails echoed through the darkness, keeping everyone on edge.
"There are too many skeletons! And hundreds of undead knights chasing us—we'll never make it back to the Elven Kingdom!"
One elf whispered in panic, her voice trembling.
Her fear spread quickly, dragging the others' morale down with it.
"Don't lose your composure!"
Honglian stepped forward at once, stabilizing the group.
"When dawn breaks, the undead army will weaken. That's our chance to break through! But until then, we must stay calm!"
"But with our strength, how are we supposed to deal with that Death Omen Beast?" another elf asked anxiously.
At those words, all eyes turned to Honglian.
The real reason they couldn't escape… was that monstrous creature blocking their path.
A massive beast, terrifyingly powerful.
Level 80.
Even Honglian and Azkman together couldn't defeat it.
After a moment of silence, Honglian spoke firmly,
"Azkman and I will find a way to hold them off. When that happens, you take the chance to escape."
"That's unacceptable!"
The elves immediately protested.
"We won't use our comrades' lives as shields! We'd rather fight to the death with honor!"
"That's right!"
"We'll fight them head-on!"
"Idiots!"
Honglian flicked the lead elf's forehead.
"As long as you make it back to the Elven Kingdom and bring reinforcements, we still have a chance to survive!"
"..."
The elves exchanged glances, deep in thought.
"Do as Honglian says," Azkman added. "I can carry her—centaurs are far more resilient than elves. You don't need to worry about us."
"Understood!"
"We'll do it!"
The elves nodded, choosing to trust them.
After all, those two were the strongest in the group.
But just as they were finalizing their plan—
A sudden sound of battle erupted outside.
"What was that?!"
"What's happening out there?!"
Confusion spread among them.
"We should check it out!"
Honglian and Azkman exchanged a glance and prepared to move—
But before they could act—
A figure burst into their hiding place.
"You all okay?"
Kurose Akira stood there, gripping his Thunderfire Staff.
"Guild Master Akira?!"
Honglian and Azkman stared in shock.
They had never expected him to appear here.
"You can still talk—good, you're fine."
Akira wiped the sweat from his brow and said to Loserine and Petiko outside,
"Finish off the skeletons and get in here. This place is safe for now."
As soon as he spoke—
A flash of red light erupted outside.
Then, silence.
Moments later, Loserine and Petiko stepped inside.
"Loserine? Petiko?"
Honglian asked in surprise, "You're here too?"
"Of course. We came to rescue you," Petiko replied calmly. "The Guild Master has always been watching over everyone. When she realized you were in danger, she entrusted Guild Master Akira with your rescue."
"Hahaha~ I see~"
Honglian scratched her head with a grin.
"Looks like we caused the Guild Master quite a bit of trouble."
"Let's leave while the undead army hasn't regrouped yet," Akira urged.
"Not yet," Honglian shook her head. "There's a Death Omen Beast blocking our escape route. It's too strong—even Petiko can't guarantee victory against it."
"A Death Omen Beast…"
Akira frowned slightly.
He didn't know its exact strength—but judging from Honglian's tone, it wasn't something they could handle easily.
If it came down to it… he might have to call in Kanlutia and the others.
But just then—
A voice echoed in his mind.
"That's a good thing!"
It was Mira Aure.
"And only Death Omen Beasts slain at night can produce Death Omen Mimicry. You absolutely must not let it go!"
"Death Omen Mimicry? What's that for?" Akira asked.
"A fragment of the Goddess of Death's divine power," Mira Aure replied.
"Tell me—is that valuable or not?"