After mastering the resurrection technique, they begged me to extend their lives.

As the first rays of dawn slanted into the west coast of Stardust Harbor.

An Xiao's team got up early and left the hotel.

Last night, the basement was unusually full of four people sleeping there.

Ms. Hela stated, "Teammates should act together, so there's no need to rest separately during breaks."

The little fox Xingmi deliberately ordered a large pot of amber honey wine when someone treated her to dinner. After drinking it, she collapsed onto the table with a thud and lost consciousness.

This resulted in An Xiao being forced to live under the same roof with her two "new partners" for an entire night.

There are four people in two large beds: myself and Airi in one bed, and Hela and the little fox in the other.

Of course, throughout the entire process, Hela kept staring in her direction, trying to observe whether "the sorcerer would do anything strange with his creations."

Therefore, even the act of holding the magic stone to replenish mana was a bit awkward, done hesitantly and unnaturally.

Ok.

The only good news was that the strange bird had stopped trying to steal his mana.

It seems that Airi's plan worked.

"Carry the Iron Maiden out, and once we reach the depths of the jungle, in a deserted environment, revive the Fiora."

An Xiao has a clear goal for today.

Completing the mission is secondary; replenishing the team members is the key.

With Fiora, the front-line problem will be solved, and your team will be able to conquer Radel Jungle in its strongest form. Ordinary Karami will have absolutely no impact on you.

"So, Hoshimi, why did you come along too?"

An Xiao glanced sideways at the reluctant little fox.

The little fox gave a guilty smile, stopped in front of the meteorite gate, and waved goodbye, saying, "I just couldn't bear to part with you all! I slept with you all last night, and somehow, time flew by! It feels like I've already become part of your team!"

Xingmi laughed and giggled, but An Xiao couldn't laugh.

"I've seen through all your little tricks. Let's make a deal first—you want to come aboard and see me off, fine, but once we reach Endedes, you'll have to find your own way back. Otherwise, I don't have the energy to protect you in such a dangerous place, understand?"

"I understand! I understand! Don't worry, An Xiao, I'll have the mercenaries from the Chamber of Commerce take good care of my safety! I won't be a burden to you! Besides, I'll pay for my own round-trip ship tickets! Is that alright?"

The little fox was a little anxious, speaking very quickly, as if afraid of being abandoned.

"Mercenaries? Have you forgotten how those mercenaries died? They couldn't even handle harpies, do you really think they can bring you back from Endedes smoothly?"

"...It's okay, I'll have my dad arrange for someone even stronger to protect me! And even if something really happens, I won't blame you! I sent you there willingly, it has nothing to do with you!"

The little fox was almost in tears.

She just wanted to spend more time with him, even at a great cost.

"..." An Xiao frowned.

He pondered for a few breaths.

"Okay, let's settle on that for now."

He didn't say anything more, waved his hand with his back to her, and then walked away with Hela and Airi.

"what……"

Hoshimi was facing the air.

Watching the group's figures disappear at the edge of the jungle, I felt incredibly conflicted.

"Miss, is it worth it for you to go through all this?"

Hogan Stoneskin, an elite guard from Stardust Harbor, stepped forward and asked.

He is a "rock-dwelling human".

A hybrid of rock spirit and giant, its body can transform into rock at any time, allowing it to disguise itself in any corner of a pile of stones.

As an elite gatekeeper of Stardust Harbor, he often stands guard in the form of a statue at the artificial hill in front of the meteorite.

"Yes, Uncle Hogan. Like I said before, thank you for your help."

Xingmi said dejectedly, "Go protect him for me, and I'll give you 1.5 times the reward..."

"Sigh, Miss..." Hogan opened his mouth but remained silent.

Although Rock Man cannot understand the "psychology of love" between humans and ordinary demi-humans, he understands that when a merchant is willing to spend money at a loss to accomplish something, she must be deeply infatuated.

"I will complete the mission, miss."

He carried the earth stone axe in his hand, swaying his crocodile-like long tail, and walked step by step toward the entrance path of the Radel Jungle.

Respecting one's benefactors is a quality that Stardust Harbor mercenaries have always strictly adhered to.

After confirming that everything was correct, the little fox turned and headed towards the Adventurers' Guild.

She still has a lot to do.

—Go to the Adventurers' Guild, anonymously invest in the team "Resurrection", increase their reward coins by 30%, and keep the whole process confidential.

Go to the Defias Brotherhood, talk to Uncle Edward about going to sea, and spend 1000 gold coins of your own money to smooth things over.

As for the discounted ship ticket of 850 gold coins that I promised An Xiao...

"Sigh."

In a society based on personal connections, where do you find such a free lunch?

To be able to watch him a little longer, what's wrong with spending these 150 gold coins myself...?

At most, she'll get a scolding from her dad for being a "spendthrift daughter" and "wasting our family's money"...

"Waaah."

Xingmi hunched over and quickened her pace.

...

...

The morning air in Stardust Harbor was chilly, carrying a misty wind that chilled one to the bone.

But once they reached the territory of the Radel Jungle, not a single bit of this wind and mist could penetrate.

It was as if they were separated by heaven and earth.

"Boss, if you bring the princess back here, what if the imperial pursuers come knocking again? We're doomed!"

Hela walked at the very front of the group, volunteering to act as a human shield, and no one could stop her.

"cannot."

Before An Xiao could speak, Ai Li said confidently:

"The dragon riders will not set foot in the Radel Jungle again, and the ground forces cannot send troops to fight over the missing corpses. After all, they can't even fully control the coup in their own country, and they have too many other things to deal with."

The princess clearly knew far more about domestic affairs than Hela. The thought of the countless conspiracies within the royal city cast a shadow over her delicate face, tinged with resentment.

"Airi, I've never understood why such a thing happened in the Empire. As far as I know, wasn't there a great sage guarding the old king? How exactly was he assassinated? How could someone like Volta possibly defeat a level 80 monster?"

Hela was very curious.

These imperial secrets were all revealed by her mentor, Miss Gray Mist, when she was drunk.

It's clear that Miss Gray Mist enjoys researching Ms. Margaret and the forces behind her in her spare time.

But the princess's next words left her speechless.

That's my grandfather.

"...??"

Airi's face fell, looking utterly dejected as she recalled the major events that had happened during her lifetime.

"I hadn't actually considered the possibility of my brother betraying the country at all."

"After all, my brother Victor is good for nothing. He has no patience for martial arts, and he has a congenital intellectual disability when it comes to politics. He doesn't understand anything and can't even remember important names. His magical talent is basically zero. He was once tested on a spirit meter and was given 'gray potential,' which is the lowest level, F-rank, or Muggle level."

"..."

"Later, a beautiful woman from a foreign land came to the royal court, saying that she could help her younger brother 'improve his aptitude'... The king, under her sweet talk, let her give it a try."

"From then on, my brother's personality changed drastically."

"He's become smarter, and he can even wield a sword. But he's become bloodthirsty, murderous, and unpredictable. He enjoys watching executions and even had Volta take him out to hunt down wanted criminals, letting him experience the feeling of ending a life on the spot..."

"Things started going down a path of no return this year."

"..."

An Xiao and Haila exchanged a glance, both waiting for Ai Li to continue.

"My grandfather is old and only wants to devote himself to studying the 'Nine Rings Spell' and 'Ancient Incantations.' He has no interest in participating in political infighting. However, that witch brainwashed my younger brother into a brutal monster. My father also felt threatened by this and asked my grandfather to persuade the witch."

"Who knew... that the day after Grandpa passed away, he died without any warning."

"What...?"

Hela frowned. "You mean, a being surpassing the level of an archmage was killed by a foreign sorceress...?"

I'm not sure.

The princess shook her head and whispered:

"We still don't know whether Grandpa Great Sage's time had come or something else. What we saw was that his body was so withered and emaciated, as if all the magical energy within him had been drained. I personally believe that it was all the witch's doing. But I also feel that there is no one in the world who can defeat Grandpa..."

"I feel so bad."

At this point, Airi felt weak and could barely walk.

An Xiao saw it all.

"Was the level 80 Great Sage taken down by the witch?"

Although, from the perspective of the creatures on the continent of Wayne, beings above level 80 are almost extinct.

However, An Xiao, as the creator, was very clear that many of the high-level creatures in his works could break this framework.

For example, the dragon race.

For example, the elf species.

There are also some beings that humanity has forgotten.

An Xiao suddenly spoke up: "Aili."

"Um?"

"If I remember correctly, are there any records of events related to foreign tribes in your history books?"

"Alien races? Yes, but the one mentioned most often is the extinct demon race."

Airi rallied her spirits and began to recount, "They were wiped out by the heroes of Galatin a hundred years ago. The location was in the underground city on the other side of Endedes. Now, black rain that can corrupt bones and blood falls from there, and no human can cross that barrier to return to the depths."

"I see." An Xiao nodded slightly.

Thinking back, pondering.

In the setting book, Victoria, the older sister of Cecily, the succubus dungeon lord, seems to be proficient in a signature skill called "Life Energy Drain".

……

……