What do you mean by "this is a dating game"?

After a brief introduction, the three prepared to enter the Fire Palace.

Grapefruit walked up to the counter, where the clerk, with a friendly smile, asked, "Are you here for an adventure?"

"Crimson Fortress"

Xiyou, being quite adept at it, first placed thirty silver coins on the table.

She then took out a gold dragon coin and said, "A connection is needed."

The so-called connection is to form a team.

The entrance fee to the First-Tier Fire Palace is not expensive, only ten silver coins per person, and you can easily break even.

However, the connection fee is quite high, costing one gold coin regardless of the number of participants.

The link ensures that everyone appears in the same location after entering the palace. When attempting to ascend to godhood, the pre-linked team will be treated as a single entity, which is a crucial step.

If there is no connection, there will inevitably be separation.

Furthermore, speedrun records are created individually, not as a whole.

"This is the Book of Connection. Please press your palm print on it."

The clerk accepted the gold coins, took out a gold foil with runes engraved on the back from the drawer, and placed it on the table.

Sieg and the others branded their magic onto the gold leaf.

The runes on the back of the gold foil lit up one by one, collapsing into pinhole-sized gold beads. Sig's hand burned, and a crimson-black seal of connection appeared on it, signifying that the team had been successfully formed.

Immediately.

A surge of powerful magic engulfed the four of them, and in a flash, they vanished from the spot.

Nobody found it strange.

They were simply transferred to the Flint Palace by a powerful magic spell.

The clerk looked at the adventurer waiting a few meters away and said, "Welcome! Are you here for an adventure?"

The adventurer stepped forward and asked, "Where did those three go?"

The clerk became alert: "I'm sorry, I can't disclose the itineraries of other adventurers."

Clang.

A gold dragon coin was placed on the table.

The adventurer's golden eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he stared at the teller without uttering a word.

Feeling guilty, the clerk silently accepted the gold dragon coins and whispered, "They... went to Scarlet Fortress."

"Thanks for letting me know. I'm going to Scarlet Fortress too."

The adventurer took out ten silver coins and placed them on the table.

……

……

A faint smell of blood lingered in his nostrils, and the temperature seemed to drop significantly, causing Sieg to shiver.

He opened his eyes.

What came into view was a blood moon.

The night wind howled, chilling him to the bone, as he stood at the foot of the mountain. At the edge of the night, atop the cliff, stood a jagged fortress.

There can't be any mistake.

First-tier beacon palace, blood-red fortress!

He looked away and turned to his side.

Nephallus was already there, and he nodded to Sieg.

Sieg smiled back and examined him carefully.

Compared to my memory, Nefa looked much older; her skin appeared loose, and her eyelashes had turned white.

How could there be such a big change in just a few years?

This old man probably hasn't had a good life.

The legendary gold-quality [Convert's Robe] that I always wore was gone, replaced by a faded gray cloth robe.

There was no staff at all; Nefarian's hands were empty.

His back remained as straight as ever, and standing there, he still retained some of the demeanor of the former "Chief Court Mage".

Intense magical fluctuations rippled around him.

Sieg turned his head and saw Grapefruit appear in a dim glow.

"Wow!"

She lost her balance and stumbled forward two steps before finally coming to a stop.

Turning around, I saw that Nefa and Sieg were already there.

Nefar was there, which didn't surprise her.

It was a Typhoon after all, and Typhoons are naturally sensitive to magic, so it's not surprising that he entered first.

But what's up with this Sig guy?!

Grapefruit squinted: "That's strange... Da Gen, why did you get here before me? Logically speaking, with my better magical adaptability, I should have landed before you."

Sieg laughed: "That just means my magical adaptability is better than yours."

"Liar! I'm the spellcaster. Your physical body is so strong, and your combat skills are so outstanding. You look like a warrior, right? I was just about to ask, what is a 'dancer'? Does such a supernatural profession even exist?"

"Nobody says that just because you have good magical adaptability, you have to be a spellcaster, right? Maybe I'm good at everything?"

"..."

I cannot accept this!

Xiyou felt a tightness in her chest. She could accept that Sieg was stronger than her in combat, but she couldn't accept that she was inferior in every way. Wouldn't that make her seem weak?!

but……

Facts speak louder than words.

At least in terms of adaptability to the [Flint Shift] spell, Sieg is better than her.

"Mr. Daikon wants to absorb the essence of the insect, right?"

Nepha asked.

Sieg nodded: "Yes."

"I have a spell that can detect nearby monsters. The Absorbing Worms can't escape my detection. Come with me."

Nefa spoke with great confidence.

Instead of going up the mountain, he led Sieg and the others into the woods on one side.

After walking for about ten minutes, he raised his hand to signal to stop.

"What? Are there any foodborne insects here?"

Grapefruit, holding up the brim of her hat, scanned her surroundings with her bright red eyes—

I didn't see anything.

They had entered the forest, where the already insufficient light became even dimmer. If it weren't for the few bioluminescent creatures wandering around, they would have been completely blind, surrounded by darkness.

She frowned: "I can't see anything."

Sieg, unfazed, said, "The Absorber is a treacherous monster. It's not strong in combat, but it excels at ambushes. It usually lurks in the grass, and when someone passes by, it suddenly pounces and suffocates them by grabbing their head."

"??"

Grapefruit looked puzzled: "What do you mean by 'covering your head'?"

Sieg gestured famously: "It's like a sack over your head, but much tighter. A parasitic worm is a soft-bodied creature with tentacles covering its abdomen; once you're wrapped in it, you can't breathe."

"...why not just tear it off?"

"Its tentacles on its abdomen are strong and powerful, and have barbs. Forcibly tearing them off would most likely result in disfigurement."

Fuck it.

I want to go home.

Xiyou's face turned pale, and she became more serious than ever before: "Dagen, why don't we go back? I don't think the essence of the absorbent insect might be a good choice. We can definitely reconsider. I will give you better advice based on my professional knowledge."

"..."

Now you know fear?

Don't you love making decisions on the spur of the moment?

"Miss Grapefruit, there's no need to worry."

Nefarian chuckled and said, "The Absorbers can't evade my detection, nor can they withstand my magic. All you need to do is pray, pray that those Absorbers will drop the essence that Mr. Daigen needs."

Deep purple magical light condensed at his fingertips.

It was as faint as a candle flame that would go out at any moment.

In a certain instant, that point of purple light suddenly burst forth with heat, becoming intensely bright!

With a sharp "whoosh," a purple light ripped through the night and struck the overgrown weeds.

The dying screams echoed, and the stench of burnt protein filled the air.

The purple lightning did not explode after it struck; instead, it twisted and returned with a clump of black slime, landing in front of Nefarian.

Sieg stared intently—

That slime was none other than a worm that had been pierced by the demonic light and died instantly.

"not bad."

A lukewarm comment rang in my ears.

Grapefruit, holding her staff, looked at Nefa and said, "I thought you were just trying to scam me out of your old age and that you were only at Tier 1. I didn't expect you to have such exquisite control over magic."