"Calm down? What about Ellen? How can we possibly reach her now?" Josephine pressed, the slight frown on her face reflecting genuine worry. The loss of her Cosmic Brain meant an almost total communication blackout with Eldoria, Ellen, and people.

​"Calm down," Sunny quickly repeated, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. "Maybe the transfer simply broke the link, or the Upper World's energy is blocking it. You don't have to work yourself into a panic." He then added with a calming smirk:

"My own Cosmic Brain is still humming along fine. If you absolutely need to reach her, I can call her... Not like she wants her mother pestering her always, right?"

​"Phew... That's a huge relief," she sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing. "I thought we were completely cut off from our family." She turned her attention to the mercenaries, who were now approaching the final Boss chamber. "So, what's the plan now, that's after we're done with all this?"

​"For now," Sunny said, "we will follow Qin Li back to the Human Kingdom's nearest city, and then find an inn to secure lodging for the night."

​"Oh... so an inn is like a hotel?" Josephine asked, confused by the Medieval terminology.

​"You can put it like that," he confirmed. "It's a place where we can also get food, drink, and gather local gossip."

​"How do you know all these small details?" Josephine asked, staring at her husband with a mixture of surprise and admiration.

​Sunny puffed out his chest with a proud smirk. "I read books. Lots and lots of books."

​Josephine laughed, playfully smacking the back of his head before walking ahead, the dual Moon Blades a striking complement to her human form.

​Qin Li looked over his shoulder at the pair and smiled lightly to himself. 'Only she will have the right—and the sheer power—to hit such a formidable person. If he decides to go after the throne himself, it will be impossible for the Qin family. But... it would still be a victory if a human, even a newcomer like him, takes the throne.'

​"Young Master, we are here," Precious said, gesturing toward the huge rock door.

​"Break it down," Qin Li commanded. Precious stepped forward and, with a disciplined burst of strength, pushed the heavy stone door open.

​'This lady is currently at the early stage of the Second Order,' Sunny mused, observing the effortless application of her spiritual energy. 'Pretty strong for a mercenary leader.'

__

​[Some Hours Later.]

​"Finally done!!" Qin Li walked out of the Secret Realm for the third and final time, the euphoria of success mixed with the possessive joy of clutching the third Moon Blade.

"Finally, we have a fighting chance! Thank you again, Sir Alex. Truly, thank you for your generosity."

​Sunny nodded, his gaze passing over the EXP and Evolution Stones gotten from killing the Boss. He switched off the system screen, and signaled to Precious.

​"Any news, Sir Alex?" Precious asked, already anticipating a high-risk, high-reward job.

​Sunny delivered his new declaration of intent, shattering the quiet exhaustion. "I want to partake in the King competition."

​".....?!!"

​His words stunned everyone—Josephine, Qin Li, and the entire mercenary group. The low-key traveler had just announced he was challenging the highest authority in the Human Kingdom.

​"Staying low-key won't achieve my goals efficiently," Sunny explained, moving into his strategic persona.

"Therefore, my first major action is to acquire your Mercenary Guild. Of course, You will still be the leader, while I will become the new, publicly unknown Hidden Boss."

​He laid out the extraordinary terms: "This way, you won't ever be without work; I will be paying you guaranteed gold every month. If you see any external job, you can keep all the rewards; I only require that you turn over any discovered Spirit Stones or rare resources to me. What do you think of that offer?"

​"...?!"

​Precious blinked, completely blindsided by the proposal of guaranteed wealth for minimal commitment. She quickly polled her group.

​"What do you all say, team?" she asked.

​"I have no issue with it. Guaranteed pay!"

"Same. We're in!"

"Yes. Having such a powerful backer is an absolute security blanket!"

"I agree, Boss! We are loyal."

​Precious turned back to Sunny, her face alight with excitement.

​"Sir Alex," Qin Li interjected, still confused by the business model:

"Acquiring a guild is extremely expensive. Why not just hire the individuals? Even among our three ruling families, only the Qin family has the resources to acquire even one mid-tier guild."

​"Good," Sunny acknowledged, reinforcing his understanding of the market. He turned to Precious. "What's the official acquisition price?"

​"One hundred billion gold is the regular price for a functional, licensed guild," she stated, calculating rapidly. "But since you are waiving all rights to our mission gold rewards, I will set the transfer price at fifty billion."

​"That expensive?" Josephine questioned, startled despite their immense wealth.

​"Yes, Mrs. Isabella," Precious explained. "Buying a Guild means that, upon acquisition, we are under your command forever. Any reputation the guild builds, you gain. You also receive mission gains. Mr. Alex waiving those gains is why I reduced the price."

​Josephine finally nodded: 'It's a massive, lifelong investment into a sovereign intelligence network and labor force. Genius.'

​Sunny brought out his bank stone and gestured for Precious to produce hers.

​"Sir Alex, I don't have the official papers at the moment—"

​"—Don't worry, I trust you," Sunny cut her off.

​Precious hesitated, then sighed. "Sir Alex, my guild is the lowest rank. We don't have many powerful fighters. I sincerely think you should reconsider and purchase a more powerful guild."

​"Just bring out your bank stone," Sunny said, his tone firm.

​Seeing his resolve, she produced her stone. Sunny transferred a startling one hundred billion gold coins—double the asking price.

​"This?" Precious was utterly stunned by the excess amount.

​"Good. Now, I need you to use the remaining money to finance and materially help all the poor human villages surrounding this area in my name," Sunny instructed, his expression becoming serious.

"If possible, extend aid to nearby human cities. Ensure the poor and marginalized citizens specifically benefit."

​He concluded with his first command: "This is your first task as my guild master. Spread out and make sure this is completed with extreme efficiency. When you are done, reach out to me via the gemstone."

​Precious's eyes shone with loyalty and purpose. She bowed low. "Yes, Boss!" She turned and ran to her team. "Come on! You got the mission! Move out!"

​Sunny watched as the mercenaries each summoned their transportation with a flash of light.

​"What are those?" Sunny asked, curious about the mystical transportation.

​"Sir Alex, those are mounts," Qin Li smiled. "You get them in some specific Dungeons and Secret Realms or buy them; they're expensive status symbols."

​"Oh! Boss! What should be our new name?" Precious, already mounted on her black cat, turned back.

​Sunny deferred to Josephine.

​"Hmm... Rising Star," Josephine offered.

​Precious grinned, lightly tapped her mount, and it shot forward. The rest of the Rising Star Guild followed behind her in a scattered rush.

​"Those eyes," Qin Li muttered, a slight trace of bitterness in his tone. "They didn't even thank me for my initial payment. The Rising Star Guild all have low-stage mounts." He then snapped his fingers, and his superior Second Order White Tiger mount appeared.

"But mine is stronger—a mid-stage mount."

​BOOOOOM!!

​The Secret Realm gateway vibrated intensely before shattering into light particles and vanishing completely.

​"Oh well, the Secret Realm is gone for good," Qin Li said, turning to the sovereigns. "Where are you up to next?"

​"We need direction to the nearest major town," Sunny said.

​"Direction? Come on! I will escort you!" Qin Li mounted his tiger. "Oh... I forgot you don't have—"

​His eyes went wide as the earth beneath Sunny and Josephine began to churn. In seconds, two magnificent, perfectly sculpted Earth Lions, a male and a female, formed out of the rock.

​"You? You have mounts? But, why can't I feel its rank?" Qin Li exclaimed, utterly confused by the undetectable, raw elemental power.

​The Earth Lions lowered themselves, and Sunny and Josephine easily mounted them.

​'I created these two instantly with my Earth Element power,' Sunny thought. He addressed Qin Li: "Come on, it will get dark soon. We need to move."

​"Right, follow me!" Qin Li yelled, forgetting his question, his tiger turning and trotting away. Sunny and Josephine followed on their silent Earth mounts.

​'This world is so strange,' Sunny analyzed, watching Qin Li.

'He's a Second Order powerhouse and can't fly, yet Josephine could fly at Divine Rank in the Lower World. Is there an inherent restriction here?' He looked at the setting sun.

'He also mentioned the strongest is at the Seventh Order, but the great mother's true power is Tenth Order. That confirms a deliberate power cap on this world. For us to grow, we must breach that cap, likely by entering the Great World. My job just became infinitely more complicated.'

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