"We! The Independents Mutual Aid Society, founded by Lord Wen Yu of Sequence Number 2, can not only give you freedom but also provide you with substantial assistance!"
Qin Tian stared blankly at the old Taoist in front of him, his saliva spraying, and at Yang Hong, who stood aside looking embarrassed. He swallowed hard.
The old Taoist hadnāt finished speaking. "Think about it: with Lord Wen Yu behind you, you wonāt have to worry about the militaryās intentions! What if the military uses underhanded methods against you? For example, the schemes they plotted against the top ten from the previous Sequence Member-Ranking Battle! Oh, I might have forgotten; you probably didnāt know about this. Donāt worry, let me explain slowly..."
ćSequence Number 5 - Kasu.ć
Tang Haofei sat quietly across from Kasu, waiting for Kasuās response.
After pondering for a long while, Kasu lightly nodded at Tang Haofei.
"Before catching Akad, Iāll temporarily join the military, but this contract can be terminated at any point!"
"No problem!" Tang Haofei nodded with a smile.
ćSequence Number 6 - Fran.ć
Lin Haifeng sat across from Fran, sipping tea while playing chess with him. The scene was indescribably harmonious...
Gazing at the door in front of him, Wen Yu hesitated for a moment before softly knocking.
The faint KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK echoed in the distance. Then, with a CREAK, the door opened slightly, revealing a crack.
Inside the room, bathed in dim light, a beautiful silhouette was peacefully painting the view outside the window.
"Iām Wen Yu!"
"Yes, I know."
A soft voice rang out. Then Sequence Number 8, Carmille, turned her head, looking at Wen Yu with a graceful smile.
Of course, beauty held no real appeal to Wen Yu.
"Iām here because..."
"Hush, wait until I finish painting..."
Wen Yu quietly walked to Carmilleās side, admiring the depiction of the Eternal Sky City on the canvasāit was undeniably beautiful!
Just as Wen Yu was engrossed in the depiction of the Eternal Sky City within the painting, a gentle voice sounded, "I agree."
"What?" Wen Yu looked a bit stunned.
Carmilleās hands continued to move, her eyes focused intently on the view outside the window. She spoke again, "I said, I agree to join your organization."
"You knew about it?" Wen Yu raised an eyebrow.
"The military just came to find me, but I donāt want to be with them. Accepting their benefits would entail a lot of responsibilities and tasks that would interfere with my painting. Comparatively, joining your group seems like a better option. By the way, youāre not a military recruiter, are you?"
"Iām not."
"Can you provide me with a studio?"
"No problem!"
"Would you be my model?"
"That... we can discuss... Itās not a nude model position, is it?"
"...Do all you men have such lewd thoughts?"
"Then thereās no problem!"
"In that case, I agree..."
Outside the Eternal Sky City, the wrinkled air began to smooth out.
This was a sign that the Eternal Sky City was about to descend into the real world!
Tang Haofei chose a spot 10,000 meters above the Yanjing Assembly Site for the cityās landing.
When the Eternal Sky City arrived at its designated location, it would mark the complete end of the Sequence Member-Ranking Battle. All remaining competitors, except for Tang Haofei, would be directly teleported out of the Eternal Sky City. The transportation portal would only reopen after Tang Haofei gained full control of the city.
Only a few hours remained.
In Sequence Number 2ās room, the original reception area had been transformed by Wen Yu, using his authority, into a large meeting room. Meanwhile, he was in the bedroom, adjusting his clothes in front of a mirror.
His outfit was still the original trench coat, his hairstyle unchanged.
But Wen Yu understood that from this day onward, he would become the leader of a new forceāeven if this force was loosely organized, even if this leader might have very few subordinates...
But one thing was certain: the force established in this room todayāno, merely a small group of a few dozen peopleāwould still be the most powerful armed faction in the world, aside from the military!
A crisp knock sounded. Yang Hongās voice came from outside the bedroom door.
"Boss, everyoneās arrived."
"Hmm. How many of those initially invited didnāt show up today?"
"Three. They were all pulled over by the military."
"Understood. You go on ahead and prepare; Iāll be right there!"
The footsteps outside gradually receded.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror, Wen Yu let out a small sigh.
The term "Boss" doesnāt really suit me,
he thought.
But the threats posed by the military, the Demon Tribe, and even the Dominator compel me to bring these individuals together. Scattered sand is easily blown away by the wind, but a stoneāeven one formed from compacted sandāis different!
Among the current Independents, only I possess the strength to be a pillar of support for others, even for other Sequence members.
Yes, a pillar. Unknowingly, Iāve gained the ability to be someoneās support, even for a Sequence member!
Remembering his past life as mere cannon fodder, Wen Yu gave a faint smile.
I have found my own path,
Wen Yu thought.
Even if Iām not unique, even if Iām not the luckiest, even if Iām not the most powerful, this is my life. And life doesnāt need to be questioned; it just needs to be faced bravely!