Chapter Eighty-Nine: Return to Falling Cloud

The citywide system announcement had barely faded before a white radiance enveloped every monster that had come to assault the city. At that instant, all damage dealt to them by players became completely immune.

Li Ren was swallowed by the sudden brilliance as well. Looking at the players still throwing themselves forward in desperation, he could not help but smile. The harvest this time had indeed been tremendous, and with this final notice, however one looked at it, the real winner was clearly him.

Ah, and there was still the reward for successfully taking the city. The promised bonus of advancing an entire stage had not yet been handed out, and he was curious to know just what this so-called evolution would be like.

Curious as he was, Li Ren had already formed a rough guess.

The white light vanished in an instant, and every attacking monster was returned once more to the Misty Mountains, leaving the city in utter ruin.

In this siege, Li Ren had truly taken and plundered his way to countless gains. It seemed that if one wanted to make a fortune overnight, robbing was the only real path.

Skull Mountain.

Li Ren was teleported here by the system. Every subordinate sent by the Skeleton King who had followed him to the battle was annihilated; only he had returned alive. So be it. In any case, those fellows would never be of real use to him in the end. If they died, then they died.

Even so, he still had no choice but to go and report back to the Skeleton King, as if turning in a quest.

Thus, in the skeleton cavern, the Skeleton King looked down at Li Ren, who stood respectfully before him, and a trace of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. He seemed not to be looking at Li Ren at all, but at a rich and delectable cake.

Li Ren naturally failed to notice this. He only felt that the atmosphere around him was strangely off.

At last, the Skeleton King spoke.

"According to the system's evaluation, your performance in this mission was quite commendable. Whatever happened in the middle, you completed the siege branch quest in the end, and the crystal was destroyed by your own hand. This reward is likely to be quite the envy of others."

Though he said this, his tone carried a complete lack of concern.

Li Ren said nothing. In truth, he did not know what to say before this eerie Skeleton King.

The Skeleton King did not mind either. With a wave of his hand, the rewards granted by the system appeared before Li Ren.

"Though these are only trifles, take them anyway. They should be quite useful to you." He paused, and his red soulflame flickered. Li Ren immediately felt a surge of formidable power rising from within his body.

"This is the stage of evolution rewarded for the successful siege. In other words, it merely brings you ahead to the evolution threshold of level eighty. You may now go and strengthen your own power. Remember, you must do so quickly, and safely!"

The words should have sounded like a reminder, yet to Li Ren they carried an indescribable sharpness.

Especially the final admonition to stay safe.

Li Ren nodded assent, then quickly withdrew from the skeleton cavern. He truly could not bear that damned place for even another second. Looking at the familiar skeletons scattered across the mountainside, Li Ren felt a flood of emotion.

Half a day later, when he once again reached Little Bull Village and put on the Ring of Deceit, the teleportation array flared to life, and Li Ren returned once more to the city he knew and loved.

The moment he stepped back into the lord's castle, Li Ren removed the Ring of Deceit under Rania's stunning gaze, then flopped onto his chair. Every bone in his body felt as if it were about to come apart, loose and askew as it rested there.

Fortunately, the chair had edges to it, so his shoulder blades could catch on them a little. Otherwise, one might truly have suspected that if he sat there long enough, he would collapse into a pile of scattered bones.

"My lord, you are..." Shadow asked, watching Li Ren as though he might fall apart the next second.

"Nothing much. I just feel that after going out all this time and fighting and killing everywhere, it really isn't as good as staying home and watching over all of you," Li Ren said half in jest.

"My master, it is my honor." This was Rania, without question.

"Mind your tone, inferior race!" Indeed, Her Majesty had begun to train her subordinate.

Li Ren looked at Lantis and Rania before him and was surprised to discover that, somehow, by some sorcery he could not begin to guess at, the vampire queen who should have been overwhelming from the very first glance had actually been subdued by Lantis.

Though curious, he did not ask. Matters between women seemed far too complicated. Why should a grown man stick his nose into such gossip? As things stood, one was keeping the other in check, and if neither would yield, that would be the real misfortune.

"Right, I brought back quite a few good things this time. It looks like our city's souls should be enough to make use of for a while," Li Ren said, turning serious at once as he straightened up.

He glanced around. Aside from a large round table, the hall was basically empty, with only a few of the queen's personal belongings here and there.

Still, it seemed a little too small.

Li Ren asked Shadow, "Don't we have a larger place here? Somewhere even more open than this hall?"

Shadow immediately led the way without another word. He understood at once what his lord intended to do.

After all, something exactly like this had happened countless times in the past world. This time would naturally be no exception.

Only Lantis and Rania were a bit at a loss, so they could only follow behind.

The side chamber, a place that was essentially optional for Li Ren and the others, happened to be perfect for this purpose.

After seeing the side chamber, Li Ren nodded in satisfaction and ordered everyone to step back until they were pressed against the door. Then he raised the Ashen Ring toward the front and gave it a flick.

Damn it. Something went wrong.