While Irving and his team were confronting Elder Seville, other parts of the City of Warding were also under attack by the Night des. The Night des not only targeted the official forces but alsounched assaults on family factions that refused to cooperate with them. The entire City of Warding was thrown into chaos.


    Beyond the City of Warding, the surrounding cities also descended into turmoil. Among them, Starling City was the most chaotic. Many families in Starling City had already pledged their allegiance to the Night des. With the Night des'' help, these families managed to seize control of the city''s official forces.


    On the outskirts of Starling City, in the Green family vi, Sophia was in the midst of a heated argument with her father, Jony, about their next course of action.


    "We can''t just sit idly by. If we wait until the Night des have wiped out all the factions unwilling to cooperate with them, we will have no allies left! We must take the initiative now and join forces with others willing to fight against the Night des. Only then will we have a chance of survival in Starling City."


    After coborating with Irving, Sophia had realized that endless retreat would not guarantee their safety. Only by coborating with others and confronting their enemies could the Green family hope to stay safe.


    However, Jony remained silent in response to Sophia''s proposal. Although he knew Sophia had Irving''s backing and valued Irving greatly, Irving was not in Starling City. Under such circumstances, Jony believed the Green family should be under his control.


    Jony''s silence made Sophia increasingly anxious. She grabbed her staff and quickly headed towards the vi''s main door.


    "Where are you going?! The situation outside is extremely chaotic. If you act alone, you''ll be in great danger!" Jony''s voice called out from behind her. He hoped his daughter would stay safe within the Green family vi.


    Sophia turned back and said firmly, "Father, the Green family is still under your control. The family''s affairs will still follow your directives. But my thoughts are entirely different from yours, and I will take my own actions. Since you won''t help me, I hope you won''t hold me back either."


    With that, Sophia walked out of the Green family vi. She nned to head straight to the city center of Starling City. She had learned that the Night des had taken control of the city''s official institutions, which meant that their top fighters were likely in the city government''s office building. Sophia intended to confront the Night des'' elite forces directly.


    Sophia knew very well that only by gaining an advantage in a decisive battle against the Night des'' top fighters could she sway the families in Starling City. If she didn''t even have the courage to face the Night des'' elite, why would the less powerful families in Starling City betray the Night des and align with the Green family?


    While Sophia was heading to the city government office building in Starling City''s center, the situation in the City of Warding was also changing.


    The Angel Guild had lost control of their headquarters, but thanks to Aron and Anna''s efforts, the surviving members managed to regroup in a secret building in the city''smercial district.


    "Everyone, please share what you know about the current situation. We are in a very dangerous position right now, and we must unite to face it," Aron said in a serious tone. Everyone could feel the immense pressure he was under.


    Anna, who had been acting alongside Aron, began by recounting their recent experiences.


    "As you all know, Aron and I were nning to raid a Night des'' stronghold today. We didn''t expect the Night des tounch simultaneous attacks on all official forces in the City of Warding. When we learned that the Angel Guild headquarters was under attack, we had to first scout the area around HQ and coordinate with our allies.


    We initially had Irving''s support, but for some unknown reason, Irving left on his own. I have no idea where he is now."


    Anna''s words caused rm among the Angel Guild members present. They all knew Irving was a top-tier fighter. His sudden disappearance during such a crisis likely meant that the Night des had already eliminated him. The surviving members began to discuss Irving''s possible fate in small groups.


    "Could the Night des really have taken down Irving? If he couldn''t stand against them, how can we hope to?"


    "We should abandon the City of Warding immediately! It''s impossible to defend it now. The Night des'' attack was too sudden."


    "If we abandon the City of Warding, what happens to our brothers and sisters still left in the city? Many Angel Guild members are still unounted for."


    Aron''s face, previously silent, grew increasingly impatient.


    Aron suddenly stood up and mmed the table in front of him. "Everyone, shut up! This is a time to discuss strategies to counter the Night des, not for idle chatter!" ге!?????&?-!оп--?+?-?&ε?ρ￥я@.&?%о?&


    Aron''s outburst stunned all the Angel Guild members present. While they were somewhat familiar with his personality, they had never seen him so angry before. In addition to yelling, Aron also activated the [Intimidate] skill he had acquired from the Shelter Game. Instantly, a heavy pressure filled the room. The members feltpelled to obey Aron and fell silent.


    Anna felt a pang of disappointment. She had always believed that the Angel Guild, as an official organization, would handle crises better than family guilds and civilian groups. Who could have imagined that during the Night des'' surprise attack, the Angel Guild would be the one to perform the worst?


    Although the City of Warding was in chaos, Anna had still managed to gather some intelligence. Family guilds and civilian organizations were still operational. Of course, this could be because the Night des hadn''t targeted these less powerful organizations as their primary enemies. Nheless, the Angel Guild''s poor performance during this crisis was undeniable.


    "Now that everyone is quiet, I''ll continue to brief you on the situation around the City of Warding," Aron said as he sat back down. Anna cleared her throat and continued her report.


    "Several cities surrounding the City of Warding have also faced attacks from the Night des. However, most of these cities have managed to secure their safety, and the local branches of the Angel Guild continue to operate. The only city in dire straits is Starling City. We have lost contact with both the government institutions and the Angel Guild branch there.


    If our assumptions are correct, the Night des have likely taken full control of Starling City. Therefore, we shouldn''t allocate any resources to send reinforcements there," Anna concluded.


    Anna''s assessment of Starling City''s situation was not entirely urate, but given the current circumstances, it was understandable. The Angel Guild''s headquarters had already fallen to the Night des, and the fact that the survivors could still gather substantial information wasmendable.


    After Anna finished her briefing, Aron stood up again. He scanned the room, taking in the condition of the surviving Angel Guild members. Some were gravely injured, while others, although less seriously hurt, had theirbat capabilities significantly diminished. Almost everyone bore some form of injury.


    "I understand that each of you has faced various challenges and that some of you are seriously injured. But I need you to muster all the strength you have left. We haven''t lost yet," Aron dered.


    Aron had no intention of conceding defeat. In his view, the Night des'' attack had caught them off guard, but with timely adjustments, they could still turn the tide.


    "My n is straightforward. We must now unite with all friendly forces in the City of Warding. Regardless of their strength or our previous rtionships, we need to coborate with them," Aron continued.


    By friendly forces, Aron referred to the Green Ivy Group and other major corporate family guilds. These family forces could provide the Angel Guild with additionalbat power. Moreover, these families had previously coborated with the Angel Guild to varying extents.


    "Anyone who can still fight, step forward now! Those who can''t, stay here and recover," Aron instructed. He didn''t intend to force every survivor into the uing battles, especially those with severe injuries. However, if their efforts yielded no progress, even the gravely injured would have to join the fight eventually.


    As soon as Aron finished speaking, the majority of the members stepped forward, including some who were quite seriously injured.


    The reason these members stepped forward was their deep sense of duty as part of the Angel Guild. They believed that in times of crisis, they must bear the responsibility.


    Seeing the actions of the Angel Guild members, Aron was deeply moved. "I want to thank each and every one of you! Our uing operations will undoubtedly seed because Angel Guild members never surrender!"


    Both Aron and Anna felt a surge of emotion. However, despite their feelings, they knew they couldn''t send all the willing members into battle. They needed to make careful selections. At the very least, those who were severely injured had to stay in the safe zones.


    "Alright, let''s proceed with a n," Aron said, regaining hisposure. "Anna, please assist me in assessing who among us can still effectively participate inbat and who needs to remain here to recover."


    Anna nodded and began to coordinate with Aron. They moved through the group, evaluating the members'' conditions and making decisions based on their injuries andbat readiness.


    "Listen up, everyone. Those of you who are assigned to stay back, your role is just as crucial. We need you to recover quickly and be ready for any future contingencies. Your time wille," Aron addressed the remaining members. "For those of you who areing with us, remember that our mission is to unite with the Green Ivy Group and other friendly forces.


    We must show them that the Angel Guild stands strong and that we are ready to reim our city."


    With their roles assigned, the group began to mobilize. The room was filled with a sense of urgency and determination. The Angel Guild, though battered and bruised, was far from defeated.