The villain daughter did all kinds of things

The Goddess was ostensibly attacked by monsters and pirates. If investigators wanted to delve deeper, they would most likely have to go to Pirate Island, which is the territory of the old witch Granny Ya...

The old lich was a true madwoman, and her strength was unfathomable. Those who dared to investigate her, unaware of their own mortality, should now be new recruits in the undead army.

So Emerald pretended to be curious and inquired about the identities of the three people who had gone missing because of this commission. The bartender didn't hide anything and directly told them their full names. Sure enough, they were all unfamiliar surnames, and one of them didn't even have a surname, indicating that he came from a completely low-class background.

Although Emerald had temporarily abandoned her plan to accept the commission, she already had a new plan in mind—she wondered if she could use the opportunity of negotiating the reward in the commission to lure out another powerful member of the Art Association during the Fusion stage and kill him, so that the Art Association would be completely at the mercy of others.

The bartender, capable of this job, was clearly no ordinary person. She stared at Amelie's beautiful heterochromatic eyes for a moment, seemingly guessing some of Amelie's thoughts, and then, in a manner that was more of a subtle explanation than a warning, said:

"The payment for each commission listed on the information board is negotiable and must be discussed at the club headquarters. The club will guarantee this process. So even if the person who accepts the commission has some personal grudge against you, Miss, you don't need to worry about them taking advantage of you."

"...Understood, thank you for reminding me."

Emerald immediately understood, thanked the bartender, and abandoned her plan to use the commission to lure out and kill the powerful members of the Art Association.

After chatting casually for a while, Emerald said goodbye to the bartender and took Flora to wander around the rest of the building, while waiting to see if anyone would take her commission.

Emery quickly took a quick look around the 35-story building.

The building's facilities are quite complete. Currently, besides Emery, there are more than ten other experts in the Fusion stage active on other floors of the building.

Some of them were fishing and chatting with friends in the ocean-themed fantasy space on the third floor of the building, some were improving themselves in the training room with a high-strength barrier, some were conducting magical research in the laboratory, and some were sunbathing and sleeping on the rooftop of the building.

Emerald didn't recognize any of these people, and they were mostly old folks, so she didn't try to get close to them. After walking around for a while, she took Flora to the 19th floor of the building.

This floor is the club's library. There are currently no other official members here, not even a librarian. Members borrow books to read using their membership cards, which is basically free.

Amelie looked at the book catalog through her membership card. Most of the magic books were nothing to her; she had seen much better ones in her family's library. Not to mention the books on business, politics, and history.

However, one major category of books quickly caught Amelie's attention.

These books are less like books and more like travelogues, all records of the club members' adventures, which they then compiled and sold to the club in exchange for other resources they needed.

These books are among the very few in the Lohid Club's library that require contribution points to borrow.

Emery had just become a full member and of course didn't have any contribution points, but that didn't pose any problem for her at all.

Because Amelie checked the membership card again and found that the contribution points could actually be obtained by spending real money... Although it was very expensive, costing 10,000 Luns per point, for Miss Melson, who had already passed the entrepreneurship trial, money was really just a number.

Emerald immediately took out her magic device and transferred funds to the Lohid Club to top up her account, initially recharging 5000 contribution points. The borrowing price for the exploration records of those Fusion Stage powerhouses was 50 contribution points each time.

Emery was very selective and borrowed 10 books at once. Then she took Flora back to the tavern on the top floor, found a seat, and started reading.

The bartender quickly brought Emily some snacks and drinks, then let Flora chat quietly at the bar without disturbing Emily any longer.

Completely absorbed in reading, Amelie was very focused and efficient. She finished reading the third adventure log she had borrowed just as dusk was falling.

...It was definitely worth the price! The real world is indeed different from the game, and this world certainly still holds many secrets!

Just as Amelie was sighing and preparing to open the fourth adventure log, the sound of footsteps rang out, and a barefoot girl suddenly appeared in the tavern.

Chapter 188 A Hunt That Can Be Taken on a Whim

The barefoot girl had long, fluffy gray hair, a rather petite figure, and looked to be about the same age as Lulu. Her clothes were also quite strange.

At first glance, the outfit seemed like a dress, but upon closer inspection, it looked like a black garbage bag with a hole cut in it and worn over the body... Combined with the girl's fluffy hair, the whole person exuded a sense of poverty, like a little beggar scavenging for food in a garbage dump, not someone who should be in a place like the Lohid Club.

But the barefoot girl appeared in the rooftop tavern of the Lohid Club, and ran to the bar as if she were at home, grabbing a glass of ice wine that the bartender had just made and gulping it down.

The bartender was clearly familiar with the barefoot girl, and quickly began making a new ice wine while asking:

"Is there anything I can do for you, Lady Barbara?"

...Barbara?

Amelie, who was secretly watching this side, felt a stirring in her heart. She did have a vague recollection of this name, and her gaze fell once again on the barefoot girl's feet.

Indeed, it was as clear and lustrous as jade, and seemed to be connected to the earth's veins. It was definitely a fused organ; she was Barbara.

Amelie was certain of it.

Barbara, a powerful being in the Fusion stage, is over 200 years old but likes to act like a little girl. She is one of the friendly NPCs who appeared in the final battle of the original game's main storyline. Although she didn't have much screen time and was killed by the powerful final boss in one move, she still left a deep impression on some players - because she is the only barefoot girl character in the entire game.

At the bar, after drinking her second glass of iced wine made by the bartender, Barbara finally showed a satisfied expression, then tapped the bar with her finger and asked:

"I just saw someone offer a reward for an aurora bird's feather? Is that person still around?"

"Yes, Lady Barbara."

The bartender quickly introduced Barbara and Emerald to each other.

Barbara had noticed Amelie sitting by the window earlier, but according to the rules of the Lohid Club, it was only polite for the bartender representing the club to introduce them.

After introducing the two, the bartender thoughtfully returned to the bar, leaving the conversation space to Amelie and Barbara.

Emerald continued to gaze at Barbara's translucent feet, while Barbara curiously looked at Emerald's radiant golden right eye. After a moment, Emerald spoke first:

"Senior, do you have any aurora bird feathers? How many? If you're willing to sell, the price is negotiable."

"I don't have any bird feathers here, but I do know where to find that wretched bird!"

Barbara first puffed out her cheeks and gave a somewhat resentful snort before asking in return:

"Big sister, you need those bird feathers and you're even offering a reward for sightings of that wretched bird, so you must have a way to deal with it, right? You know, although that wretched bird is rather weak in direct combat, its speed is arguably one of the fastest among monsters. Do you have a way to keep it here?"

"of course."

Emery didn't mince words, nodding confidently:

"My abilities are relatively effective against it, which is why I chose it as my target. Also, as you know my identity, senior, I have quite a few magical artifacts specifically prepared for it."

"...Power restraint, and you're the eldest daughter of the Melson family, aren't you?"

Barbara pondered for a moment, then readily made her decision:

"Alright, let's work together... I'll take you to find that bastard bird, and you take care of it for me! Its feathers, meat, and bones are all yours, I don't want anything! But you have to take care of it for me! And the sooner the better, preferably tonight!"

"Uh……"

Amelie was somewhat surprised:

"That's no problem, of course. But if I may ask, senior, do you have a personal grudge against a certain aurora bird?"

"Ugh, don't even mention it, that scoundrel is utterly shameless!"

Barbara spoke through gritted teeth:

"It's winter now, so I was thinking of going to the northern snowfields to hunt some monsters and get some nice furs to make a new coat, but I never expected to be disgusted by a nasty bird!"

"Four times! Four times! Every time, I'd just finally defeated my prey and was about to reap the spoils when that wretched bird would suddenly appear and snatch them away, then run off... It's taking advantage of the fact that I can't fly and can only fight on the ground. It's infuriating!"

Amid Barbara's incessant complaints, Amelie understood the feud between the human and the bird.

Barbara's fusion organs are her feet, and her fusion ability is unique—she must keep her feet in direct contact with the ground to gain various powerful earth-based abilities. Once her feet leave the ground, she can barely unleash even 30% of her combat power.

This "ground" doesn't refer to the absolute ground, but rather to something connected to the ground. This is acceptable for indoor spaces in high-rise buildings like today, but not for various aerial structures.

Therefore, Barbara has always been very cautious and would never leave the ground. Since becoming a Fusion Stage powerhouse, she has never gone out to sea by boat or taken an airship.

One of the aurora birds may have initially been just trying, ambushing Barbara after she hunted a monster, grabbing the most valuable part of the prey, and then immediately running away, flying high into the sky, towards the sea, while Barbara could only scream angrily on the ground.

After succeeding once, the aurora bird set its sights on Barbara. In the following three hunts in the Northern Snowfield, the aurora bird stole the spoils and ran away each time... which infuriated Barbara. She came back this time intending to post a commission to find someone to kill the aurora bird. As it turned out, she saw that Amelie was offering a bounty for the aurora bird's feathers, and the two hit it off immediately.

A hunt in the snowy northern plains might seem like a joke to an ordinary mage, but it's nothing to a fusion-stage powerhouse.

Amelie only hesitated for a moment before agreeing to Barbara's suggestion. She told Flora to return to Melson Manor first, while she would go with Barbara to hunt aurora birds.

"Actually, I want to go too..."

Flora didn't really want to go home by herself, and looked longingly at Emerald.

"No!" x3

But three voices unanimously rejected her: not only Amelie and Barbara, but even the bartender herself loudly objected from afar.

A Fusion Stage expert is definitely not someone below the Fusion Stage who can fight against them, and battles between Fusion Stage experts are not something someone below the Fusion Stage can interfere with. Even watching from a distance is very dangerous.

If it were any other Elder Dragon-level monster, Flora might be a viable option, but the Aurora Bird is an extremely fast and cunning assassin. If Flora were to go, she would definitely become a weak point that the Aurora Bird would exploit. Neither Emery nor Barbara were confident they could protect her.

"Okay, okay... then I won't go~~"

Flora was a bit stubborn, but not exactly a brat. Seeing that her suggestion was met with unanimous opposition, she didn't insist anymore, only pouting and muttering under her breath:

"Damn it! I really want to break through to become a Grand Mage as soon as possible..."

After making her decision, Flora quickly returned to Melson Manor to tell the others that Emerald was going hunting that night.

When Yulia found out, she pouted and looked a little unhappy.

"That scoundrel Emerald is going out all night with that new girl he just met again..."

At the same time, I was thinking to myself—if I also reach the Fusion stage, will Emery take me with her on this hunting trip? I really should work harder!

Marcy shared the same thought, believing that her understanding of life was still insufficient and that she needed to further explore the mysteries of life at the feet of the young lady.

Meanwhile, Amelie and Barbara briefly discussed their battle plan before setting off.

They first arrived at Warrendo, the city in northern Federation closest to the snowfield, through Sphingard's fixed portal, and then went directly outside the city to continue their journey into the snowfield.

"Big sister, you must have some kind of high-speed mobility technique?"

Standing on the border between the Federation and the snowfield, the barefoot girl Barbara raised her little face, her tone like that of a little girl going out to play with her older sister.

"of course."

Emerald had gotten used to Barbara's childish behavior and no longer called her "senior," replying casually:

“I have a kind of… well, you can think of it as a special magical device that can fly at high speed in the air with a maneuverability no less than that of the Aurora Bird.”

"A flying device..."

Barbara didn't delve into Emerald's methods; after all, the two weren't very familiar with each other, and it would be impolite to pry into each other's secrets.

She rubbed her chin and thought for a moment:

“That wretched bird is quite alert. If you use that to fly over the snowfield directly, it might alert her and scare her away... Here’s what we’ll do: don’t make a move yet, and try to conceal your presence. I’ll take you to where it’s known to be and try to lure it in. You can wait for it to come before you make your move.”

"it is good."

Although the plan was simple, it was reasonable, and Amelie would certainly not refuse it.

"Relax your body and don't resist my strength."

So Barbara grabbed Emerald's hand, activated her power, and wrapped the two of them in a layer of brown light like a bubble.

Then they began to sink. Although the ground beneath their feet was hard, they sank in as if they were diving. Then the brown light membrane suddenly accelerated, moving rapidly underground like a supersonic submarine that could never exist, heading northwest towards the snowfield.

About an hour and a half later, after Emery estimated that they had traveled more than 3000 kilometers, the brown light bubble controlled by Barbara began to slow down and soon came to a stop.

"This is pretty much it... The place where that bastard bird stole my loot the day before yesterday is less than 20 kilometers from here. I should be able to lure it out in this area."

Barbara explained for a moment, then added:

"You stay here and hide for now. I'll go up and figure out a way to lure it out."

"it is good."

Amelie nodded in agreement, and with a quick rub of her hands, several small skeletal birds appeared, which she handed to Barbara.

"If I use my magic to sense things, the Aurora Birds will likely detect me. I'll use them as my eyes and ears."

"...Necromantic magic?"

Barbara raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise, but said nothing. After taking the few small white bone birds that were about the length of her fingers, she left the brown light membrane and floated to the ground.

She first tossed them with both hands, releasing all of Emerald's bone birds into the air.

On the snow-covered northern plains, the white-boned birds are really hard to notice. Not only is their camouflage advantageous, but their own faint magical fluctuations are also insignificant and they are not taken seriously by powerful monsters.

"They really are very useful eyes and ears..."

Barbara first remarked on this, and then began to think of ways to lure the snake out of its hole.

Her method was simple: the Aurora Bird had appeared several times before to steal her prey, so she only needed to hunt another Elder Dragon-level monster to lure the Aurora Bird out again.

So Barbara once again activated her ability, connecting with the earth through her bare feet, and imprinted all the information on the ground within a radius of hundreds of kilometers in her mind.

Those who can survive in harsh environments are all strong, so there are quite a few ancient dragon-level monsters in the Northern Snowfield. Barbara quickly found a suitable target.

It was a large mammoth family, the same kind of ice mammoths that Amelie had encountered during her hunting trials with the Lohid Magic Academy. However, this mammoth family was much stronger, with more than 60 members. The leader of the mammoths had evolved to the Ancient Dragon level, standing over 50 meters tall, and looked like a small mountain from a distance.

In terms of size, Barbara was like an ant in front of the mammoth leader, but she was not afraid at all and did not hide her aura. She charged directly at the mammoth family.

In contrast to the control phase, during the fusion phase, humans have an easier time gaining the upper hand than monsters in battles of the same level.

During the mastery stage, monsters possess greater magical power and output than humans due to their physical attributes. Therefore, many dragon-level monsters require a team of multiple mastery-level mages or formal magicians to hunt.

During the fusion phase, the differences in physical attributes among humans are compensated for as fused organs are formed. When magical power and magical output are roughly equal, humans with systematic combat skill inheritance and diverse equipment can easily gain the upper hand—this is the power of civilization.