The group worked hard to calm their inner shock, and all eyes were fixed on Irving.


    This young man was far more powerful than they had imagined.


    In the game, strength is paramount!


    After all, in such a harsh environment, surviving well means closely following in the footsteps of the strong.


    "Let''s begin the operation." Irvingmanded, his deep eyes shing with cold determination. He then called over James and a few leading yers from the guild.


    Upon hearing Irving''s n, a look of astonishment appeared on their faces. They hadn''t expected this young man, not only gifted in gamey but also seasoned in strategizing such actions.


    To know, Irving looked barely in his twenties...


    Of course, what they didn''t know was that Irving had already lived a previous life, giving him experience far surpassing that of most people.


    Under the cover of nightfall, the group began to move in batches.


    In the distance, on the imposing castle, several ck-d sentinels stood on guard, patrolling the area. As the night deepened, they leaned against the walls, engaging in aimless conversation.


    "Damn, I''m so tired. I just want to find an empty spot and nap."


    "You were out with a woman against night, weren''t you? Look at how exhausted you are. One of these days, you''ll end up dead on a woman''s belly."


    "A few new girls came to the Royal Club the other day. They''re young and lively. Want me to take you next time?"


    "Cut the chatter and get back to patrol. If we''re caught cking, we''ll get a good scolding."


    "Who''s going to catch us? At this hour, the boss is probably either asleep or drinking and fooling around at some club, leaving us to watch the gate." one of the ck-d men yawned andined. "This shelter is so fortified. Who would daree here to die? I don''t see the point in standing guard..."


    Just as they were chatting, a rustling sound reached their ears.


    Looking down from the wall, they saw a group of exotic beasts approaching, led by two figures--a pair of women running for their lives.


    "Help! Help!" one of the women shouted frantically, pounding on the castle door.


    The patrolling guards focused on the two women and seemed to understand something. The guard who had beenining about being tired suddenly had a gleam in his eye.


    "Damn, these two chicks are really pretty." He said, ncing at hispanion. "Quick, quick, open the gate and let them in."


    "Are you crazy?" the other guard retorted. "Have you forgotten the rules? No one enters the castle without approval. If anything goes wrong, we lose our heads."


    By the light of the torches mounted on the castle walls, the two women standing below could be seen clearly. Their skin was fair, their features delicate, but their faces bore expressions of panic and distress.


    "Rules are dead, but people are alive, aren''t they?" The ck-d man raised an eyebrow, a suggestive smile ying on his lips. "Can''t you see how gorgeous those two beauties are? If we save them, they''ll surely find a way to repay us, won''t they?"


    "Besides, it''s just a bunch of low-level Pigmen outside. What could possibly go wrong?"


    These words swayed the other patrolling ck-d guards.


    After all, standing watch in the dead of night was a grueling task. The idea of having a woman to keep thempany sounded like a delightful reprieve.


    Although Pigmen were the stuff of nightmares for most yers in the early stages of the game, after two rounds of cataclysms, killing a Pigman had be significantly easier. For these patrolling guards, it was as effortless as squashing an ant.


    "Quick, let''s do it before anyone else finds out." said the ck-d man who had initially hesitated.


    Before long, the heavy gates of the castle creaked open, leaving a narrow gap.


    "Come on in,dies." the first man who suggested opening the gate called out, his smile widening as he gestured for them to enter.


    Behind him, the other guards clutched their steel des, ready to confront the approaching Pigmen.


    "These beasts don''t know their ce, daring to chase prey all the way here." one of the patrolling guards sneered.


    Just as they were about to swiftly deal with the Pigmen and return to enjoy their newfound femalepany, several white shes streaked through the air around them, apanied by low growls echoing in their ears.


    "Damn it! There are other exotic beasts!" The face of the leading guard paled, but by the time he realized the danger, it was already toote.


    A series of crisp snaps echoed as his neck was brutally bitten through. It wasn''t until the moment of his death that he finally saw the exotic beast that had attacked him.


    It was an entirely snow-white wolf!


    "It''s an ambush! Retreat!" The other guards instantly sensed the danger. Without sparing a nce at their fallenrade lying in a pool of blood, they turned and fled towards the castle gates.


    But within the next instant, their vision was engulfed in a blinding white light, and the castle gates that had been so close moments ago disappeared from sight.


    "What the..." The scorn in the eyes of the remaining guards was reced by sheer terror as they realized their dire predicament.


    Near the castle gates, the ck-d man who had been leering at the two women now saw himself surrounded by a pack of wolves. His face contorted in fear, and he turned to sound the rm.


    Yet, as his fingers brushed the rm button, a chilling, piercing cold spread through his body, causing his heart to seize. He looked down to find an ice spike protruding from his chest, his crimson blood slowly staining the ice.


    The man in ck lowered his gaze and saw that his chest had been pierced by an ice spike, with scarlet blood gradually staining the ice red. As if realizing something, he turned his head.


    The two women he had just saved were now looking at him with gentle smiles.


    "Thanks for saving us." said the taller woman with a smile.


    They were none other than Sophia and Vicky.


    The exterior walls of the castle were far too sturdy for a direct assault. With the defenders holding the high ground, even though James had brought over two hundred fighters, a frontal attack would be exceedingly difficult.


    The most critical issue was that once the people inside the castle were alerted, the situation would be even moreplicated.


    The Brotherhood of Night des still had control over several guilds. If those guild members rushed over and surrounded Irving and his team, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    A direct assault was out of the question, so a surprise attack was the only viable option. The element of surprise was essential, striking when they least expected it.


    Within a few minutes, the outside of the castle had returned to silence. The ck-d patrol guardsy gravely wounded on the ground, looking in horror at the wolf pack that had suddenly appeared before them.


    "Hurry up, get killed by them quickly." one of the ck-d men managed to shout through gritted teeth, enduring the intense pain.


    The other ck-d men seemed to realize something as well. Despite their severe injuries, they struggled to their feet and chose to rush towards the exotic beasts.


    If they were killed by the exotic beasts, they would be immediately logged out of the game but could revive the next day. Most importantly, they could then ry what had happened here back to the real world.


    Unfortunately...


    Just as they were about to recklessly charge at the exotic beasts, arge group of yers wielding weapons suddenly emerged from the midst of the wolf pack. James had selected some elite members from the guild to hide among the beasts ording to their n.


    "If they want to die so badly, let''s grant their wish." James said with a cold smile.


    In the next moment, the already severely injured ck-d men were utterly dumbfounded. They had never imagined that what awaited them were not exotic beasts, but long des.


    Thud! A series of muffled sounds echoed.


    Blood sttered across the ground, and the ck-d men fell to the ground with their eyes wide open in disbelief, staring like copper bells.


    Being killed by yers meant there was no chance of revival, and they would die the same way in the real world.


    "Thanks to that strategist, who anticipated that these ck-d men would try to ry information bymitting suicide. If we hadn''t hidden among the exotic beasts, those bastards might have seeded." one of the yers remarked with a sense of relief.


    The other yers nodded repeatedly, their admiration for Irving growing even stronger.


    "The patrol at the entrance has beenpletely dealt with." Sophia whispered as she opened the heavy double iron gates of the castle.


    At that moment, a figure slowly emerged from the midst of the exotic beasts. Under the moonlight, his shadow stretched long, and his deep, iconic eyes glittered with a cold light.


    As Irving stepped forward, all the exotic beasts present, along with James and the guild members, turned their eyes towards him, awaiting the nextmand.


    With a wave of Irving''s hand towards the interior of the castle.


    The horde of exotic beasts and the nearly two hundred yers swiftly surged into the castle.


    Meanwhile, in the central hall of the castle, a masked man in ck sat with a furrowed brow, lost in thought, surrounded by a few candles providing light.


    The masked man in ck was named Duncan, the leader of The Brotherhood of Night des.


    "Such a pity about that item..." Duncan murmured, rubbing his temples and sighed, "If it hadn''t been discovered by those above, I would never have handed it over."


    Just then, for some inexplicable reason, the candles in the hall began to flicker violently.