Chapter 86

Chapter 86

This was Chen Wang’s true face.

His previous steady and amiable demeanor now seemed like an illusion.

Ao Qi had always worried Chen Wang would resort to violence. Now, witnessing this scene, his anxious heart finally settled.

Back when the guild ratings had just concluded, those unaware of the truth were dissatisfied with Tansapa being the sole S-class guild. During that period, wherever Chen Wang went, he left a trail of bloodshed. After being thoroughly intimidated, most people reacted to Chen Wang with a mix of fear and avoidance. Recently, Chen Wang had inexplicably become more composed, as if deliberately maintaining a relaxed and amiable atmosphere... This abnormality, on the contrary, made Ao Qi wary, prompting him to stay on high alert.

But was it necessary for him to go to such lengths to uphold that friendly facade?

Ao Qi couldn’t fathom the reason. He couldn’t help but glance at Ai Ba Tuo, still dazed on the floor. Surely it couldn’t be a predator toying with its prey—someone like Ai Ba Tuo hardly qualified as prey...

Then... could it be because of Little Snowball?

Ah, right. Guides were typically perceived as delicate, sensitive, and timid. So, as a sentinel, Chen Wang might not want him to witness bloody scenes. That was understandable.

As a sentinel himself, Ao Qi naturally paid attention to the S-class guide. His spirit, a North American grizzly bear, always liked following Little Snowball around.

Ao Qi didn’t deny that spirits reflected their owners’ subconscious desires.

If Little Snowball didn’t belong to Tansapa, he wouldn’t be living as peacefully as he was now. Behind the scenes, factions were vying for him in undercurrents of conflict. Even the Guide Association couldn’t protect him as thoroughly as Tansapa.

Of course, Ao Qi would also stop at nothing to win Little Snowball over. The value of the only S-class guide was immeasurable.

Unfortunately... Little Snowball was in Tansapa.

His thoughts had wandered too far. Bringing his focus back, Ao Qi sighed and raised a hand to rub his temples.

He said to Chen Wang, "Didn’t we agree not to resort to violence?"

Chen Wang ignored him. The luxurious long table had been corroded by toxins, and no one dared to approach it. Only Chen Wang leaned his elbow against it without hesitation, smiling at the Ai Ba Tuo brothers across from him. "Stop trembling. That takes all the fun out of it."

He pointed at the overturned chair with his gloved hand. "Sit."

Ai Kote’s face was deathly pale. He swallowed hard, supporting his equally shaken brother, Ai Ba Tuo.

For some reason, even though his brother was also an S-class, he paled in comparison to Chen Wang’s overwhelming presence. Meerkats had strong instincts for danger—he couldn’t bring himself to meet Chen Wang’s gaze, lowering his head slightly as he helped his brother retreat a step.

Chen Wang: "If you don’t understand, I’ll repeat it in my own way."

Left with no choice, Ai Kote guided his brother back into the chair.

The conference room gradually filled with hushed murmurs.

A Jin paid no mind to what others thought, grinning as he said, "Didn’t I warn you last time? ‘Since you’re just an A-grade Guild, I’ll let you off this time. Next time, you won’t be so lucky.’ Why haven’t you learned to behave?"

He nudged Sha Ni Lu with his elbow, adding fuel to the fire. "The look on that bearded guy’s face is much better now. I prefer him terrified."

Sha Ni Lu clicked his tongue in disdain. "Too weak."

A Jin chuckled. "If they were capable of solving problems, Tansapa wouldn’t have had to travel all the way here... Oh, both last time and this time."

Faced with A Jin’s mocking scrutiny, the bearded man didn’t react this time. Cold sweat still clung to his back and neck. He hadn’t expected Chen Wang to act so decisively—he had nearly brushed shoulders with death.

This was a warning. Next time, it would be him.

Fear and fury churned in the bearded man’s heart. Due to various reasons, he’d never had the chance to face Chen Wang in combat before. But after this encounter, he knew that even as fellow S-classes, he was no match for Chen Wang. Losing his own life didn’t matter, but he couldn’t bear the thought of his brother Ai Kote being dragged down with him.

The bearded man decided to endure it. Gritting his teeth, he refused to provoke Chen Wang further.

Swallowing his pride, he sat back down.

The other guild members all kept their distance from the toxic flower, afraid of even the slightest contact with the poison.

Xie Yin, hidden in the crowd, watched the bearded man thoughtfully, his eyes flickering with contemplation.

Sha Ni Lu grew impatient. "Let’s change the subject. This one’s gotten boring."

Ao Qi pinched the bridge of his nose and summoned a Class A Sentinel in specialized protective gear to dispose of the toxic flower.

"Alright, let’s move on to the main agenda."

The projector whirred to life, its beams converging into a diamond-shaped screen midair. Images of the S-class gate, captured from various angles, were displayed.

Luo Ci tilted his head up, gazing curiously at the screen. He’d never seen a gate in person before. Though he knew he came from the world beyond the gate, he had almost no memory of them.

Roland lifted the tiptoeing little one into his arms so he could see more clearly.

So this was a gate...

Luo Ci studied the rust-colored vortex in the photo—like a swirling wind gathering in midair, its center twisting into a sharp, horn-like shape, resembling both a serpent’s head and a unicorn’s horn.

"As you can see, a new S-class gate has appeared," Ao Qi said. "The vortex’s shape doesn’t match the beast-head or the beast-eye patterns of the Wisdom Gate. This new S-class gate might belong to an entirely new category."

Someone raised their hand. "What are the characteristics of this type of gate?"

"Based on the information provided by President Ai Ba Tuo, I’m inclined to call it the ‘Morph Gate.’ First, from the initial photos of its appearance, the gate showed no signs of deterioration at the time. This photo, however, was taken just yesterday at noon—the gate suddenly developed a deterioration rate, and it’s accelerating rapidly... Conservatively, we must conquer it within seven days, or it will deteriorate completely."

"Second, the Morph Gate moves. Using the initial photos as reference, the gate first appeared near the Stargazing Platform but has since relocated above Flower Valley Plains. According to drone footage, the Morph Gate has changed locations three times, always at exactly noon. Currently, it’s in motion and invisible—entry is impossible. Based on previous patterns, it should reappear five days from now at noon."

"Third, the Morph Gate breaks precedent. Historically, we believed monsters only emerged from gates once deterioration reached critical levels, and for a century, this held true. However, the Morph Gate operates differently—monsters appear randomly within a 30-kilometer radius of the gate... Please look at the screen. The locations where monsters have appeared are marked with light points."

The attendees murmured among themselves as they studied the data on the screen.

"Don’t look, little one," A Jin covered Luo Ci’s eyes. "You’ll lose your appetite from how ugly they are."

Blinded, Luo Ci asked curiously, "Are they really that ugly?"

Chen Wang: "Uglier than those abstract illustrations you hate."

Once, someone had gifted the little one a book of illustrations, including an extremely abstract section. The child had nearly cried from how ugly they were, much to everyone’s amusement.

If they were uglier than abstract art, they must be truly hideous.

Luo Ci obediently let A Jin keep his eyes covered.

He wasn’t curious anymore. Not one bit.

Truthfully, many in the room were also disturbed—not by ugliness, but because this was the first time monsters had appeared in reality from within a gate. The shock was undeniable.

The first monster to appear in reality had a head composed of various insect mouthparts, its body a lump of congealed, cell-like flesh. In the photo, it looked like chewed gum covered in bugs, but in reality, the creature stood at least three stories tall.

The second monster was slightly less horrifying, resembling the tumbleweeds that plagued the western regions. When it first appeared, it was only the size of a balloon, rolling through streets and using its many tendrils to snatch pedestrians, dragging them into its stomach. Through continuous feeding, it grew to the size of a truck’s wheel. By the time HMC’s sentinels banded together to kill it, it had ballooned to the size of a hot air balloon.

The third photo...

When everyone had finished looking over the materials, Ao Qi spoke up: "I believe some of you must have noticed that during the first three appearances, there was only one monster each time. Starting from the fourth appearance, the number gradually increased to three, then nine. This suggests that the number of monsters appearing later may continue to rise," he said.

"Seven years ago, when the first S-class gate, the Wisdom Gate, first appeared in Fibile, we had never encountered a gate of such high level before. At that time, several guilds joined forces, forming a powerful dispatch team composed of S-class and A-class members to enter the gate. Unfortunately, they were wiped out entirely, and we suffered tremendous losses—losses significant enough to set civilization back twenty years, without exaggeration," he added. "To this day, a monument stands in Fibile in their honor," he continued. "I don’t know if it’s because the Wisdom Gate appeared in Fibile, but over the years, its residents gradually moved away. The once-bustling city became empty, devoid of its former prosperity. Fibile never experienced monster invasions, yet it decayed on its own as if it had suffered a disaster, eventually becoming the uninhabited ghost city it is today. Now, Gustfrevilla is about to become the second Fibile—they are currently under monster attacks, which deeply worries me. So, I hope everyone can lend a hand and save Gustfrevilla!"

As soon as Ao Qi finished speaking, everyone expressed their willingness to do their utmost.

Sha Ni Lu tilted his neck and said, "Finally, a chance to get some action."

"Guildmaster Chen Wang," Ao Qi turned his head and said seriously, "Based on the current analysis of the monsters' attributes, the creatures behind this gate are likely poison-attribute, and the boss should be poison-attribute as well. You have more experience dealing with such threats, so I’m afraid the boss will have to be entrusted to you."

Chen Wang rested his chin on his hand and smiled with interest. "Of course, this should be pretty interesting."

Ao Qi paused. Entering an S-class gate was something most Sentinels feared—only a madman like Chen Wang would find it fun.

The first phase of the meeting concluded smoothly.

With the participation of major guilds, the efficiency of eliminating monsters improved significantly. However, as Ao Qi had previously analyzed, the number of monsters appearing simultaneously also increased considerably.

Since the Shape-shifting Gate was currently invisible and moving and temporarily inaccessible, everyone focused entirely on taking out the monsters.

The monsters from the S-class gate were generally A-class, making them extremely challenging for most Sentinels. Following Ao Qi’s arrangements, the reinforcements from various guilds were dispersed and organized into dozens of squads based on rank and ability.

Sentinels below B-class could hardly inflict any damage on the monsters, so the main force consisted of A-class Sentinels. Within just a few days, they were working non-stop, exhausting themselves.

After obtaining Chen Wang’s permission, Ao Qi assigned A Jin and Sha Ni Lu as captains of two separate squads. The two, who were always competing to outdo each other, became even more fired up—now determined to see whose squad could kill more monsters. The winner would get to spend a whole day with the kid.

The two squads clashed more.

Ao Qi had a headache over this. He finally understood what Chen Wang had meant when he asked with a meaningful tone during the consultation, "Are you mentally prepared for this?"

Moreover, he had little control over A Jin and Sha Ni Lu—first, he lacked the authority, and second, both were naturally rebellious. Yet, they were also the main forces in monster elimination. Their fierce rivalry was precisely why the efficiency of clearing monsters was so high.

The only real loss seemed to be the compensation he had to pay out.

Of course, there was also the growing tension between the HMC guild and Tansapa.

Often, the HMC guild would work painstakingly for two or three hours, setting up traps and ambushes along the path of newly emerged monsters, only for Sha Ni Lu to suddenly appear at the last moment. A bolt of lightning would effortlessly shatter the monster’s skull, rendering all their efforts useless. The HMC members, their faces flushed with anger, could only watch as Sha Ni Lu smirked at them and taunted, "What? You guys were too slow—you were cutting into my time with Little Rice Ball."

While everyone was busy, the kid wasn’t idle either.

Whether it was his insanely cute appearance or his identity as an S-class guide, many Sentinels found ways to approach the little snowball. Though he currently belonged to Tansapa, who's to say he wouldn't grow tired of it someday and switch guilds?

With most Tansapa members out hunting monsters, where else could they find such a perfect opportunity to get close to the little snowball?

During breaks between monster-clearing missions, the most discussed topic was who had managed to exchange a few more words with the little snowball. Everyone took pride in having spoken to him.

Whenever the little snowball appeared in public, others would immediately swarm around him… That's the power of a guide.

Because there were too many people with ulterior motives trying to get close to the little snowball, Chen Wang had Roland stay by his side at all times.

After experiencing the bitter consequences of his verbal warnings a few times, the number of openly brazen Sentinels dropped sharply.

However, some clever individuals noticed that the little snowball seemed very interested in Spirits.

Thus, Luo Ci could casually find a sea otter spirit while taking a stroll, turn a corner and bump into a gold-spotted butterfly, or encounter a polar swan… Luo Ci marveled at the variety of peculiar Spirits but couldn’t resist playing with them. Sometimes, he would lie on the gold-spotted butterfly’s wings and let it carry him high through the resort hotel. Other times, he would transform into a little snowball and cuddle up with the polar swan.

Just as the swan was snuggling with the little snowball, it suddenly felt something forcefully push it aside, shoving it to the edge. Looking up, it saw a grizzly bear glaring at it. But the moment the little snowball raised his head, the bear immediately put on a foolishly innocent expression.

"Quack—!" What a sneaky bear! the swan protested.

Aside from the internal conflicts among the Spirits, other Sentinels were also torn between jealousy and envy. These Spirit users were supposed to rely on their Spirits as their main combat strength, yet when it came to missions, they all went themselves, leaving their Spirits behind at the hotel to accompany the little snowball. Such multitasking was totally unfair!

Of course, they also wished they weren't Spirit users themselves.

By the fifth day, no more monsters appeared. The exhausted main force finally got a chance to rest and returned to the hotel.

A Jin immediately picked up the little snowball and lifted him high. "I’m back! Did you miss me, little snowball?"

"I did!"

Luo Ci’s face lit up with joy, his ears twitching as he kicked his short legs and wrapped his arms around A Jin’s neck. Sha Ni Lu raised an eyebrow. "What about me, Little Rice Ball?" he asked.

Luo Ci gave him a tight hug as well.

Zhong Shijin also reached out.

After being passed from hug to hug, the little one couldn’t help but rub his cheeks with his small hands, feeling like his face had been thoroughly rubbed red.

Just then, a hotel staff member approached. "Everyone, please proceed to the lobby. Guildmaster Ao Qi has prepared a welcome feast for you all," the staff member announced.