The raid began.

After telling Bai Luoxia everything they knew, the young woman fell silent for a moment.

She couldn’t believe the Abyss would be so bold as to interfere with Rhine Academy’s selection tournament.

Weren’t they afraid of retaliation?

Rhine Academy was a behemoth not to be trifled with.

However, given their lunatic mindset, it wasn’t surprising they would do something like this.

“So there’s an accomplice?” Bai Luoxia remarked lightly.

But then she immediately asked coldly, “Where are they?”

“Whoa there, hold on, don’t be so rash,” Sui Ming hurriedly stopped Bai Luoxia from rushing to her death again.

“If you charge in there all by yourself, do you really think the outcome will be any different?”

“Besides, they have one more person now.”

“We didn’t go through all that trouble to save you just so you could go and get yourself killed again.”

Upon hearing this, Lecter got upset again.

“Sui Ming! How dare you speak to Her Highness the Imperial Princess like that! Watch your words!”

“But he does have a point,” Ral countered.

“Right now, the enemy is strong and we are weak.”

“If we act recklessly, our defeat is inevitable.”

“Indeed, I was careless,” Bai Luoxia admitted.

“So, what’s your plan?” Bai Luoxia asked, turning to Sui Ming.

“First, do you remember something that Proctor Anna mentioned?”

“She said that in this virtual realm, something called ‘spoils of war’ exists.”

“You’re thinking…?” Ral saw through Sui Ming’s intentions at a glance.

“Heh, an excellent idea,” he couldn’t help but smile.

In contrast, the other two, completely bewildered, just stood there dumbfounded.

‘Why are their smiles so terrifying! Who are the real villains here?!’

Deep within the royal palace, a figure emanating a faint green aura slowly arrived.

Upon seeing the figure in the distance exuding an air of madness, Harry immediately knelt on one knee and said respectfully, “Greetings, Lord Apostle.”

“Excellent.”

“You have perfectly fulfilled the requirements.”

“Very good.”

“Here is a small reward for you. Take it.”

The Hanged Man waved his hand, and the countless corpses around them suddenly began to emit a multicolored, illusory light, which then transformed into pale blue soul essences and flew into Harry’s hand.

“Thank you for your guidance, my lord!”

After absorbing such an immense amount of soul power, Harry’s mana surged.

He officially advanced from [Gold Vein] Tier 2 to Tier 3, just one step away from [True Manifestation].

“Unfortunately, I cannot let you advance here just yet.”

“Otherwise, the suppression of this virtual realm would only make you weaker,” The Hanged Man said with a sigh of regret.

He then glanced at the corpses littering the ground, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

“Let these overconfident geniuses burn the last embers of their lives with their own bodies.”

With a mere thought from The Hanged Man, countless colorful strings descended from the sky, connecting to all the corpses.

After a moment of trembling, the corpses actually began to move!

They were all human prodigies, yet now they had been reduced to puppets under someone’s control.

What a desecration!

But this was precisely what The Hanged Man wanted to see.

“What’s so interesting about fighting outsiders?”

“It’s much more fun to watch them fight their former comrades! Hahahahaha!”

“Go! Find that relic of authority and bring it to me! At any cost.”

“Now then, what will you do next?” The Hanged Man’s sinister laughter echoed through the palace.

“Will you choose to save everyone, or just yourselves?”

“What will your choice be?”

Meanwhile, completely unbeknownst to The Hanged Man, Sui Ming and the others had already returned, right under his nose.

After all, according to Sui Ming’s analysis, if the purpose of this selection tournament was to filter candidates, then to intensify the competition, the so-called “spoils” would surely be placed within Mingxi City.

Although he couldn’t rule out the possibility that the enemy had already looted the entire city, it was still better than just waiting around.

To improve their searching efficiency, the four of them split into two groups.

And surprisingly, Bai Luoxia suggested teaming up with Sui Ming, which caused Lecter to roar his heart out for a full five minutes.

‘On what grounds! Why would Her Highness the Princess fall for that idiot!’

‘I won’t accept it!’

“Give it up.”

“A one-sided crush like yours never ends well,” Ral couldn’t help but retort.

“Is your name really Sui Ming?” Bai Luoxia suddenly asked for some reason.

“O-of course it is.”

“If my name isn’t Sui Ming, what else would it be?” Sui Ming answered, his voice trembling slightly.

‘Why is this jinx sticking so close to me?’

‘I don’t want to be treated like a one-hundred-million-Fal redemption ticket!’

“Oh?”

“Did you go anywhere special when you were young?”

“Or is there anyone you care about deeply?”

“N-no, not really.”

“Why do you ask, Your Highness?”

‘Why is she interrogating me like I’m a wanted criminal! Oh, wait, I guess I am. Never mind then.’

“Really?”

The young woman’s face suddenly moved closer to Sui Ming’s, her sapphire-like eyes filling his entire field of vision.

“O-of course not.”

Sui Ming quickly turned his head, avoiding her gaze.

Those azure eyes seemed as if they could tolerate no falsehood.

Perhaps she already knew everything and was just not saying it.

“L-let’s see… what’s in this loot box?” Sui Ming tried to change the subject, hoping Bai Luoxia would stop interrogating him like a criminal.

Sui Ming, who had countless lives on his hands, felt fear for the first time—a fear known as being “yandere-chopped.”

The two of them peered into the box until Sui Ming took something out.

“What is this?”

The young man slowly picked up an azure stone.

The daylight reflected within it, making it look incredibly dazzling.

“That is a [Sea’s Poem].”

“It’s a specialty of the Spirit Race, but it’s not very useful right now,” Bai Luoxia explained.

“Its only function is to cause someone to suffocate, and the condition is very strict: it must be mixed into their bloodstream.”

“Whether you use it as a poison or as an arrowhead, it’s not a very good choice.”

“As an arrowhead, it’s too fragile.”

“As a poison, it doesn’t dissolve in water.”

“I have no idea why the Spirit Race even mines this stuff. For decoration?”

“Hey, hey! What are you doing?!” Bai Luoxia was suddenly alarmed.

She saw Sui Ming pick up a whole [Sea’s Poem], cut a small gash on his own arm, and place a piece of the gem inside.

“Testing its lethality, what else?”

“You want me to eat it?”