Full health is the kill threshold, no matter if you're a god or a demon!

In the council office of the azure town, afternoon sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting dappled yet somber shadows on the floor.

A faint scent of anxiety lingered in the air.

The current Speaker, Bob, was slumped in a large, sturdy oak high-backed chair, his brow furrowed into a deep "川" shape, almost enough to trap a fly.

His thick fingers gripped a report, the edges of which were unconsciously crumpled and slightly fuzzy. The report contained statistics he had commissioned regarding the current situation of players in Azure City, the game map areas actually controlled by humans on Earth, and reports on invasion points by hostile players over the past week…

Anxiety, like a swarm of tiny poisonous ants, gnawed at his heart.

The more he looked at him, the more agitated he became, and his nostrils began to flare as he began to breathe heavily, like a bull.

Bob is a full 1.95 meters tall, making him look like a moving iron tower among human players on Earth.

At this moment, he was wearing a meticulously maintained set of the [Unyielding Barrier] armor—the heavy, dark gold plate armor still gleamed indoors. The shoulder armor was sculpted into the shape of a roaring lion's head, its fangs bared, as if ready to devour anyone at any moment; in the center of the breastplate, a pale blue magic crystal the size of an egg was embedded, providing him with an additional energy shield.

His face was very rugged, with short, reddish-brown hair that stood up like steel needles, complementing his square face, thick eyebrows, and meticulously trimmed beard, outlining a rugged and resolute profile. He was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, the prime of a man's life.

However, what is most eye-catching is not him, but the enormous object standing quietly in the corner of the office—the two-handed greatsword [Unbreakable Oath].

The weapon that he had from the moment he entered the game seemed to emanate an invisible pressure. Its blade was as thick as a door panel, and even without a sharp edge, it gave people a sense of weight that could split mountains.

Ancient runes flowed across the dark metal blade, and a faded but still sturdy ribbon of oath was wrapped around the hilt... Based on speculation, the quality of this weapon has already surpassed the legendary level, and it is very likely an eternal weapon.

Therefore, this sword is a symbol of his power and the source of his title "Indestructible Wall".

Bob's class is [Honor Bulwark], an advanced class similar to a Paladin but with a greater focus on defense, protection, and retribution.

He possesses powerful team buff skills such as [Divine Protection] and [Glorious Domain], control and counterattack methods such as [Shield of Justice] and [Hammer of Wrath], and the ultimate transformation skill [Divine Avatar].

With a level of 57, coupled with a full set of top-tier equipment and a top-tier weapon, his stats are indeed among the best in the world, especially in frontal assaults and positional defenses, where almost no one can surpass him.

However, his weaknesses are equally obvious: poor mobility and lack of area clearing ability.

"Bang!"

The heavy wooden door to the office was pushed open rather roughly, interrupting Bob's increasingly anxious thoughts.

Three figures filed in, bringing with them a bit of noise from the corridor outside.

The leader was named Matt, level 51. He had a thin face, prominent cheekbones, and his eyes always darted around quickly, flashing with a shrewd yet uneasy light.

Half a step behind him, Yell (level 50) wore a fake smile that made people uncomfortable.

Finally, there's Rick (level 50), a short, black player with a somewhat gloomy expression and an unusually dark brow, which always makes people unconsciously think of the phrase "a dark brow."

These three were all "veterans" from the Charles era, and all of them were Druids.

After Charles's downfall, they quickly switched sides, clinging to Bob, who seemed to have the most secure position and the greatest influence, like leeches, and swarming around him all day long, becoming veritable "Speaker's confidants".

"Speaker Bob!" Matt's voice was urgent. He strode to his desk, placed his hands on the edge, and leaned forward. "Damn it, we just got concrete intelligence! That arrogant guy Wang Mian wasn't doing anything productive at all! He took a whole bunch of elites directly under the council to be bodyguards for Wu Zhan's Dragon Soaring Guild! Escorting their core members safely to some dwarf stronghold in the Underdark! Bah! He acts all businesslike and powerful in front of us, but behind our backs, he's just Wu Zhan's obedient dog! Using our resources to enrich his private forces!"

Rick chimed in at the opportune moment, his voice low and indignant: "That's not all, Speaker. That bitch Yelena! Those Bear Kingdom players should be kicked out of the Council! Now they've gone even further, openly colluding with Wu Zhan! Her Zhan Xiong faction is practically in cahoots with Long Yuan and Long Xiang! The three of them are now banding together, sharing resources, intelligence, and acting in unison, clearly forming an independent organization. Do they even respect you as the rightful Speaker? Do they have any respect for the Council's authority?"

Yale chuckled sinisterly, his voice like a slippery snake: "You are the rightful Speaker, Wang Mian is merely a deputy, and Yejielina is a criminal. Their current factionalism, pulling other council members and skilled solo players to their side, isn't their intention obvious enough? They want to sideline you and seize your power! Once the upgrade war begins, this little blue city will probably have to change its name to 'Wu'!"

Bob's grip on the report tightened abruptly, causing the sturdy parchment to creak under the strain, and the edges to wrinkle even more deeply.

The veins on his forehead throbbed slightly, and a mixture of anger at being slighted, panic, and frustration at being powerless to change the status quo surged through his chest.

Matt, keenly sensing Bob's emotional shift, immediately added fuel to the fire, her tone filled with a sense of disappointment: "To be honest, Speaker, you're just too rule-abiding, too procedural, too lenient! Everything requires meetings, votes, and considerations of 'unity' and 'avoiding division'... Look at how Wu Zhan does it! He's autocratic, winning over some and suppressing others, and his power only grows stronger! If Speaker Charles were still in office... humph, with his skills and ruthlessness, how could Wu Zhan and Wang Mian, these clowns, be so arrogant? He would have brought them to their knees long ago!"

"Charles..."

Bob repeated the name in a low voice, his eyes instantly becoming complicated.

Charles was not only his predecessor, but also his mentor and promoter.

Although Charles later suffered a major setback that resulted in the loss of Parliament's elite, his disgrace, and imprisonment, Bob still retained a deep-seated awe for his former boss, as well as... an unspeakable sense of guilt.

He always felt that as one of Charles's most trusted protectors, his failure to protect the Speaker and allow him to "fall" in the ratmen ambush was a serious dereliction of duty.