There was no point in hiding the Night des situation from Vicky and Sophia, so Irving decided to exin everything.


    "You mean to say, the ones hunting us are sent by the Night des?" Sophia''s expression turnedplicated. She had heard a bit about the Night des.


    But she hadn''t expected them to act so quickly.


    "They probably already know about what happened with the Brotherhood of Night des." Irving said with a bitter smile. "Their entry into the secret realm this time is likely not just for treasure hunting…"


    The atmosphere grew tense.


    At that moment, rustling sounds came from the forest behind them, apanied by screams of agony.


    It was the eight yers who had been left behind after chasing Sophia. The Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders were highly perceptive. Even the slightest movement could attract their attention.


    These yers had hoped to escape once the neurotoxin wore off, but they were targeted again by other Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders in the forest.


    Their screams of anguish were chilling.


    "Irving, let''s leave this ce quickly." Vicky said, her brows furrowed.


    But before she could finish, Irving smiled. "You two go ahead. I have some things to take care of. I''ll catch up with you shortly."


    With that, Irving turned and re-entered the forest.


    He hadn''t left those eight yers in the forest out of mercy.He intended to use them as bait to attract more Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders.


    Even though he had already tamed Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spider Queen, the recent battle had resulted in many losses among its "subjects," far from meeting his needs.


    ...


    At the foot of the volcano.


    yers were gradually emerging from the forest. Although they had passed the test of the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders, it came at a great cost.


    Ever since the news about the [Flowing Light and Dense Realm] was released, many yers had been excited, believing they would find abundant equipment inside.


    However, the oue was destined to disappoint them...


    Not to mention the temporary teams of a few dozen yers, even small guilds faced near annihtion when ambushed by the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders in the forest.


    Larger guilds, leveraging their numbers, might have a few survivors, but unless they had powerful warriors or mages in their ranks, the forest surrounding the volcano seemed like an insurmountable barrier.


    Even guilds with strong yers suffered heavy losses. Everyone had injuries, and their faces were filled with bitterness.


    Opportunities and dangers always coexist.


    Although this secret realm, opened by the Blue Star Will, contained vast treasures, obtaining them would not be easy—there were no free lunches in this world.


    At the edge of the forest, a group of people had gathered. Their bodies were soaked in blood, and many were injured, clearly having just gone through a fierce battle.


    "How did it go?" a middle-aged man in the center of the group asked.


    He exuded a powerful killing intent, holding a crescent-shaped scimitar dripping with fresh blood.


    "We''ve already sent people to chase them, but…" A yer beside him nced towards the forest, a bitter expression on his face. "But we don''t know why they haven''t returned yet."


    "Useless!" The middle-aged man, named Addison, was the current head of the Fox family.


    At his roar, everyone around him lowered their heads, not daring to breathe, cold sweat beading on their foreheads like soybeans.


    "Even a woman can escape from you. I wonder what use you all are." Addison''s triangr eyes shed with cold light. Then, as if thinking of something, he turned his gaze to the side.


    There, dozens of people knelt on the ground. Their injuries were severe. Some even had their arms cut off. They trembled constantly, likembs awaiting ughter.


    Among them was a middle-aged man about Addison''s age. Although his entire body was bound with ropes, he still held his head high, a look of dignity on his face.


    "The head of the Green family," Addison said with a mocking smile. "Where did your precious daughter run off to? Have here back obediently, and maybe you can still live. Otherwise, I won''t be able to exin to those above."


    The bound man was Jony.


    Jony''s eyes were filled with anger as he said, "We''ve worked together for so many years, and I never thought you''d betray me. Who is behind this?"


    "There''s no need for you to know that." Addison sneered. "Hand over your daughter, and perhaps you can quell their anger. Otherwise, the Green family will soon be wiped out."


    This was no idle threat. Even Addison trembled at the thought of that faction.


    The Green family had been one of the top families in Starling City, and Addison had only reached his current position with their support. But now, having been betrayed, Jony was filled with regret.


    However, it was toote for regrets.


    Seeing Jony remain silent, Addison snorted, "Mr.Jony , out of respect for our years of cooperation, I''ll remind you onest time. That people arenot someone you or I can afford to offend. Think it over!"


    Jony felt a deep sense of despair. He nced at his bound family members beside him and sighed.


    The earlier attack by the Brotherhood of Night des had already dealt a severe blow to the Green family. This time, their attempt to explore the secret realm and seek treasure was met with betrayal by a former allied family.


    Now, only about ten members of the Green family remained alive... No one could have imagined that a once-prominent family in Starling City would fall to such a state.


    At this moment, more and more guilds were gathering at the foot of the volcano.


    Among them were the Angel Guildand the Green Ivy Group led by James.


    The Angel Guild, an official guild, had recruited many powerful yers from across the country. They even had a yer with the [Eagle Eye] talent, making the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders in the forest less of a threat.


    On James'' side, however, the situation was less optimistic.


    The Green Ivy Group had some members left behind to repair the post-battle ruins of their castle, while others were stationed at the mines for extraction. Over a hundred elite members were selected for this secret realm expedition.


    "James, we lost twenty-three brothers in the forest, and ten more are severely injured. I''ve already had them log out of the game." a yer said gravely.


    With the equipment provided by Irving, the Green Ivy Group had now risen to the ranks of a top-tier guild. Yet, even so, they had still lost over thirty members to the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders in the forest.


    "How many brothers do we have left?" James asked.


    "I just counted. We have a total of ny-five." the yer next to him reported.


    James nodded and continued, "Any news from Irving?"


    "I''ve already sent people to look for him, but so far, no sign of Irving." the yer replied, frowning. "ording to the reports from our men, aside from local guild forces, there are also some other forces involved this time."


    "Other forces?" James was slightly taken aback.


    The [Flowing Light and Dense Realm] was temporarily opened by the Blue Star Will. Although yer shelters in each country and region were far apart, everyone could reach here through portals.


    This meant that, in addition to local forces, many foreign forces were also participating.


    James felt a sense of unease. While the Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders in the forest surrounding the secret realm had eliminated most yers and guilds, those who had made it this far were the elite.


    "James, should we head straight to the volcano now?" a yer asked.


    Looking ahead, the entrance at the foot of the volcano was visible. ording to system prompts, the treasure within the secret realm was hidden inside.


    As soon as the question was asked, the yers of the Green Ivy Group turned their gaze toward James. Every yer who had made it this far wanted to uncover the ultimate treasure.


    James frowned, looking at the volcano entrance not far away. With aplex expression, he said, "Let''s not rush. Find Irving first, and then we''ll go in together."


    "Alright, I''ll send a few more brothers to search nearby." the yer responded.


    After thest battle, the yers of the Green Ivy Group were all in awe of Irving''s formidable strength.


    The seemingly nearby entrance to the volcano could very likely be fraught with dangers. If they rashly entered, they might encounter attacks simr to those in the woods.


    The Poisonous Fang Paralyzed Spiders were already difficult to deal with. If they were to run into some formidable exotic beasts, the entire Green Ivy Group might end up perishing inside.


    Besides the exotic beasts, the real threat came from the other guild forces gathering around. With the lure of the secret realm''s treasure, no one would sit by and let others take the lead.