CHAPTER 139: GUILD LEADER IN THE ENEMY’S CAPITAL!

The moment the system notified Ryan of the quest’s completion, relief flooded through him. After nearly wiping earlier due to a lapse in focus, he had been carrying a knot of paranoia in his chest.

But now, a portion of [King of the Nyman] was complete. The Elemental Plane’s pursuers had been driven back, and what remained were only the trivial tasks that required the collective effort of many players.

In his previous life, the unique quest [Demon War] had played out the same way. After the first wave of demons from the Abyssal Depths was repelled, the questline devolved into a string of fetch tasks. Those eventually unlocked massive military preparation missions, which culminated in the opening of a high-level raid dungeon and the formation of a neutral faction—the Demonbane Expeditionary Force.

The rewards had been extraordinary: top-tier gear, rare schematics, and items that could be purchased once a player reached the right reputation. For a while, everything revolved around that faction.

Now, Ryan had just cleared the first hurdle of [King of the Nyman]. With the pursuers gone, fetch quests were certain to follow. If history repeated itself, the rise of a new neutral faction was inevitable. What rewards would come with it this time?

The thought made him grin.

While he mused, his character automatically played through a cinematic dialogue with Nyman Shaman Agu. By the time Ryan snapped back to himself, the cutscene had ended, and a new quest glowed in his log.

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Diplomatic Alliance: Represent the nascent Nyman people and engage in discussions with the leaders of various races to establish diplomatic relations.

Quest Objectives: Speak with Human King Galvin Banre 0/1; Speak with Night Elf High Priestess Yigael Starfall 0/1; Speak with Dwarf King Jinhan Ironhammer 0/1; Speak with Orc High Shaman Bandari 0/1; Speak with Minotaur Chieftain Dam Hornbreak 0/1; Speak with Undead Arch-Lich Valnar 0/1.

Quest Reward: Nyman Favor

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Nyman Favor? Ryan frowned, intrigued. Before he could ponder it further, Agu dissolved into motes of light and vanished. Ryan pulled out his Hearthstone and warped back to Astral City.

In his bag sat an item tailor-made for this kind of mission: the Ambassador’s Seal. As long as he wore it, every major race would recognize him as one of their own. NPCs wouldn’t attack, and even hostile players couldn’t treat him as an intruder.

There was one catch—if he attacked anyone, the Seal would burn away, and the quest would fail on the spot.

For most players, this task would be a nightmare. The world map was enormous. Without flight points unlocked or allies in foreign factions, reaching the heart of another race’s city was almost impossible. The wilds between territories swarmed with high-level monsters, more than enough to annihilate a confused or under-leveled traveler.

Ryan, however, had the Seal. It even allowed him to use the Dark Horde’s portal in Astral City. With one click, he could appear in their capital, bypassing all obstacles.

As he stood before the swirling portal, a mischievous grin spread across his face. He knew exactly what he would do: the instant he arrived in Dark Horde territory, he would announce his location in guild chat. The chaos that would cause was too good to pass up.

Meanwhile, Mia and Evelyn were still locked in battle with the second boss of the Forest of Decay. This was their fourth attempt, and the creature refused to go down. They weren’t the only ones stuck—two other Flowing Light teams had also been grinding against the same wall, unable to push any further.

The first clear of the second boss went to Ironblood Covenant. Their five-man team barely scraped through, ending with only a single Shaman alive, nearly out of health and mana, who finished the fight by bludgeoning the boss to death with a one-handed hammer.

When the video of their clear hit the forums, it boosted Ironblood Covenant’s reputation—but it also earned them the nickname of "lucky bastards."

The footage showed why. In the last seconds of the boss’s enraged phase, the Shaman managed to dodge several fatal swings, squeezing out just enough time for the DPS behind him to push the boss over the edge. Their execution looked sloppy compared to other guilds who had wiped at 5%. Luck had carried them across the finish line.

Watching the video left Mia fuming. Her expression soured, and she wasted no time in laying blame. "If Ryan had just tanked for us, we’d be past this boss already," she muttered again and again.

Her complaint wasn’t without weight. Ryan’s durability as a tank outclassed everyone else’s, and his damage output was on par with a proper DPS. With him on their side, clearing the boss wouldn’t have been easy, but it would have been very likely.

"I’ve been saying this from the start," Mia grumbled aloud in guild chat. "If we just asked him, the problem would be solved."

Others silently agreed, but no one voiced it. Ryan wasn’t just another player—he was their guild leader and the current top-ranked player in the game. They couldn’t just summon him around the way Mia did. Only she had that privilege, having lived under the same roof as him since childhood.

"Alright, enough," Evelyn said, smiling faintly. "We called him a few times already. If he hasn’t answered, then he’s probably on something difficult."

That made sense to everyone. Ryan always kept an eye on guild affairs. If he hadn’t responded despite their chatter, he was most likely knee-deep in some quest that demanded his full attention. It wouldn’t be the first time. The last time they had embarrassed Ironblood Covenant, Ryan had also been tied up in a high-level mission.

"That’s the only reason I haven’t just gone to knock on his door," Mia muttered with a pout.

And right then, Ryan’s name lit up the guild chat.

"Guess where I am right now?"

The sudden message dropped without context, leaving everyone momentarily stunned. If their leader was teasing like this, he had to be somewhere unexpected.

"I bet it’s some deserted island in the deep sea!"

"High-level map?"

"Or maybe a raid dungeon?"

"Use your brain. Raid dungeons need a party. Who’s running with the guild leader right now?"

The chat exploded with speculation. Mia finally lost her patience and fired off: "Spit it out already! Where are you?!"

Ryan hesitated for a moment. After their last spat, he felt a faint dread whenever Mia singled him out. Not daring to provoke her further, he quickly dropped his coordinates into the chat.

Featherlight had appeared in Ironblood Fortress.

The guild fell silent.

Ironblood Fortress was no ordinary location—it was the capital city of the Orcs, the heart of the Dark Horde itself.