There was no point in hiding the Night Blades situation from Vicky and Sophia, so Irving decided to explain everything.
"You an to say, the ones hunting us are sent by the Night Blades?" Sophia's expression turned complicated. She had heard a bit about the Night Blades.
But she hadn't expected them to act so quickly.
"They probably already know about what happened with the Brotherhood of Night Blades." Irving said with a bitter smile. "Their entry into the secret realm this ti is likely not just for treasure hunting…"
The atmosphere grew tense.
At that mont, rustling sounds ca from the forest behind them, accompanied by screams of agony.
It was the eight players who had been left behind after chasing Sophia. The Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders were highly perceptive. Even the slightest movent could attract their attention.
These players had hoped to escape once the neurotoxin wore off, but they were targeted again by other Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders in the forest.
Their screams of anguish were chilling.
"Irving, let's leave this place quickly." Vicky said, her brows furrowed.
But before she could finish, Irving smiled. "You two go ahead. I have so things to take care of. I'll catch up with you shortly."
With that, Irving turned and re-entered the forest.
He hadn't left those eight players in the forest out of rcy. He intended to use them as bait to attract more Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders.
Even though he had already tad Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider Queen, the recent battle had resulted in many losses among its "subjects," far from eting his needs.
...
At the foot of the volcano.
Players were gradually erging from the forest. Although they had passed the test of the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders, it ca at a great cost.
Ever since the news about the [Flowing Light and Dense Realm] was released, many players had been excited, believing they would find abundant equipnt inside.
However, the outco was destined to disappoint them...
Not to ntion the temporary teams of a few dozen players, even small guilds faced near annihilation when ambushed by the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders in the forest.
Larger guilds, leveraging their numbers, might have a few survivors, but unless they had powerful warriors or mages in their ranks, the forest surrounding the volcano seed like an insurmountable barrier.
Even guilds with strong players suffered heavy losses. Everyone had injuries, and their faces were filled with bitterness.
Opportunities and dangers always coexist.
Although this secret realm, opened by the Blue Star Will, contained vast treasures, obtaining them would not be easy—there were no free lunches in this world.
At the edge of the forest, a group of people had gathered. Their bodies were soaked in blood, and many were injured, clearly having just gone through a fierce battle.
"How did it go?" a middle-aged man in the center of the group asked.
He exuded a powerful killing intent, holding a crescent-shaped scimitar dripping with fresh blood.
"We've already sent people to chase them, but…" A player beside him glanced towards the forest, a bitter expression on his face. "But we don't know why they haven't returned yet."
"Useless!" The middle-aged man, nad Addison, was the current head of the Fox family.
At his roar, everyone around him lowered their heads, not daring to breathe, cold sweat beading on their foreheads like soybeans.
"Even a woman can escape from you. I wonder what use you all are." Addison's triangular eyes flashed with cold light. Then, as if thinking of sothing, he turned his gaze to the side.
There, dozens of people knelt on the ground. Their injuries were severe. So even had their arms cut off. They trembled constantly, like lambs awaiting slaughter.
Among them was a middle-aged man about Addison's age. Although his entire body was bound with ropes, he still held his head high, a look of dignity on his face.
"The head of the Green family," Addison said with a mocking smile. "Where did your precious daughter run off to? Have her co back obediently, and maybe you can still live. Otherwise, I won't be able to explain to those above."
The bound man was Jony.
Jony's eyes were filled with anger as he said, "We've worked together for so many years, and I never thought you'd betray . Who is behind this?"
"There's no need for you to know that." Addison sneered. "Hand over your daughter, and perhaps you can quell their anger. Otherwise, the Green family will soon be wiped out."
This was no idle threat. Even Addison trembled at the thought of that faction.
The Green family had been one of the top families in Starling City, and Addison had only reached his current position with their support. But now, having been betrayed, Jony was filled with regret.
However, it was too late for regrets.
Seeing Jony remain silent, Addison snorted, "Mr.Jony , out of respect for our years of cooperation, I'll remind you one last ti. That people are not soone you or I can afford to offend. Think it over!"
Jony felt a deep sense of despair. He glanced at his bound family mbers beside him and sighed.
The earlier attack by the Brotherhood of Night Blades had already dealt a severe blow to the Green family. This ti, their attempt to explore the secret realm and seek treasure was t with betrayal by a forr allied family.
Now, only about ten mbers of the Green family remained alive... No one could have imagined that a once-prominent family in Starling City would fall to such a state.
At this mont, more and more guilds were gathering at the foot of the volcano.
Among them were the Angel Guild and the Green Ivy Group led by Jas.
The Angel Guild, an official guild, had recruited many powerful players from across the country. They even had a player with the [Eagle Eye] talent, making the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders in the forest less of a threat.
On Jas' side, however, the situation was less optimistic.
The Green Ivy Group had so mbers left behind to repair the post-battle ruins of their castle, while others were stationed at the mines for extraction. Over a hundred elite mbers were selected for this secret realm expedition.
"Jas, we lost twenty-three brothers in the forest, and ten more are severely injured. I've already had them log out of the ga." a player said gravely.
With the equipnt provided by Irving, the Green Ivy Group had now risen to the ranks of a top-tier guild. Yet, even so, they had still lost over thirty mbers to the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders in the forest.
"How many brothers do we have left?" Jas asked.
"I just counted. We have a total of ninety-five." the player next to him reported.
Jas nodded and continued, "Any news from Irving?"
"I've already sent people to look for him, but so far, no sign of Irving." the player replied, frowning. "According to the reports from our n, aside from local guild forces, there are also so other forces involved this ti."
"Other forces?" Jas was slightly taken aback.
The [Flowing Light and Dense Realm] was temporarily opened by the Blue Star Will. Although player shelters in each country and region were far apart, everyone could reach here through portals.
This ant that, in addition to local forces, many foreign forces were also participating.
Jas felt a sense of unease. While the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders in the forest surrounding the secret realm had eliminated most players and guilds, those who had made it this far were the elite.
"Jas, should we head straight to the volcano now?" a player asked.
Looking ahead, the entrance at the foot of the volcano was visible. According to system prompts, the treasure within the secret realm was hidden inside.
As soon as the question was asked, the players of the Green Ivy Group turned their gaze toward Jas. Every player who had made it this far wanted to uncover the ultimate treasure.
Jas frowned, looking at the volcano entrance not far away. With a complex expression, he said, "Let's not rush. Find Irving first, and then we'll go in together."
"Alright, I'll send a few more brothers to search nearby." the player responded.
After the last battle, the players of the Green Ivy Group were all in awe of Irving's formidable strength.
The seemingly nearby entrance to the volcano could very likely be fraught with dangers. If they rashly entered, they might encounter attacks similar to those in the woods.
The Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders were already difficult to deal with. If they were to run into so formidable exotic beasts, the entire Green Ivy Group might end up perishing inside.
Besides the exotic beasts, the real threat ca from the other guild forces gathering around. With the lure of the secret realm's treasure, no one would sit by and let others take the lead.
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