Heart of Blazing Flames

After finalizing the initial cooperation plan with everyone and agreeing to discuss further in a formal setting tomorrow, Li Li saw off these uninvited guests and began to handle his own affairs.

The young girl who had slid on her knees in front of him upon entering was, in terms of traits, similar to Aer; she was a "special unit" that believed in him.

No matter what command Li Li gave, she could not refuse it.

However, the five Knights who had reached Gold Rank behind her were not as easily swayed as their Saintess.

While they also believed in the Creator God, they were not as fanatical. When facing Li Li, they could maintain normal thinking abilities and would not blindly follow his orders.

Precisely because their minds were functioning normally, even if they didn't show it outwardly, they would subconsciously judge whether Li Li was the Creator God described in their doctrine.

After all, the Salvation Army, established on faith in the Creator God, was a fanatically religious organization. This was vastly different from the Thirteen City Alliance, which viewed gods as "Transcendence individuals," in their attitude and definition of "god."

The representatives of the major forces within the Alliance naturally accepted the objective fact that Li Li was a "deity."

In contrast, the Knights of the Salvation Army appeared reserved and flustered when facing the exceptionally calm, almost mundane, Li Li.

Li Li led them into a small room behind the warehouse, had Aer block the players who wanted to follow from entering, and began preliminary communication with them.

The leading golden-haired young girl's face was flushed, too excited to speak.

Out of necessity, the oldest among the Knights, a middle-aged Knight, took over and explained their village's situation.

They were descendants of the Salvation Army.

One of the Salvation Army's leaders, the [Despair Saintess - Aperlia], had become corrupted and could only seal herself within the crystal [Heart of Blazing Flames], using continuous burning to slow the rate of corruption's erosion.

Their ancestors, however, voluntarily stayed by the Saintess's side, guarding Aperlia sealed within the crystal for generations.

The natives of this world were not like players who could obtain an entire world map with a few mouse clicks.

The wilderness, to them, was an abyss representing tranquility and death.

An inconspicuous forest could be a hunting ground for Legendary Rank monsters, and a palm-sized snake might possess the strength to poison a Gold Rank individual.

Every step they ventured outward carried immense risk, yet yielded little visible reward.

Most people, after finding a stable settlement, were unwilling to explore further. These Knights, who had guarded Aperlia for generations, had lived in Crystal Seal Village for several hundred years.

After recounting their experiences, the leading middle-aged Knight knelt on one knee and, as expected, requested Li Li to save Aperlia.

Li Li did not respond immediately.

He first used the map obtained from the players to confirm the distance to Crystal Seal Village, and immediately felt a sense of awe towards "Lost a Leg."

The straight-line distance of nearly 600 kilometers, traversing difficult terrain such as dense forests, lakes, and cliffs, while also evading areas threatened by various monsters...

Although players' bodies didn't require sustenance, for a Level 1 character's performance to reach Crystal Seal Village in just three days was a testament to the individual's considerable strength.

He decided to reward this rare talent with a large amount of experience points under the guise of completing a "hidden quest," aiming to get this individual to Level 30 first.

After some thought, Li Li pondered for a moment and said to Aperia, "I am aware of your situation. As long as Aperlia has not been completely corrupted, I am confident in my ability to save her from the corruption. However, the prerequisite is that you can transport her to me within Iron Wall City."

"Therefore, you have two tasks to complete next. First, confirm how long Aperlia can last after being removed from the [Heart of Blazing Flames]. Second, confirm how long it will take to travel from Crystal Seal Village to here while carrying Aperlia."

"Supreme Lord, your radiance shines upon me, and your wisdom guides me." Aperia knelt on the ground of her own accord, burying her head at Li Li's feet, and said piously, "Your most humble servant here vows that your will shall be carried out, and I will fulfill your sacred decree with my life."

Li Li: "..."

If Li Li were still human, with a golden-haired beautiful girl in Knight's armor kneeling before him, he would definitely have felt a surge of secret satisfaction.

But now, He only felt it was troublesome.

Li Li realized he seemed to have lost some of his human desires.

Take Aer, for instance. Living with this obedient beautiful girl for so long, Li Li felt there was no reason he shouldn't do something to Aer.

He wasn't some saint or gentleman.

But he truly hadn't done anything.

For so many days, when he was hungry, he would boil water and eat instant noodles. When he was sleepy, he would sleep on the folding bed in the small room behind the warehouse. Although he had earned over a hundred thousand Alliance Coins by helping players level up their skills, he hadn't used them to improve his life. Instead, he had used them all to purchase building materials for the camp.

Li Li believed that his pre-transmigration self was not a disciplined person; he had simply lost his desires for sex and material possessions.

"I hope that in the future, when you communicate with me, you won't be so subservient, and perhaps fewer compliments. Try to be as... efficient as possible."

Li Li helped the kneeling female Knight to her feet, then closed his eyes to locate the positions of the online players.

It was late night on Earth, and the only players still "online" were the four individuals of "Level 8 Great Gale," who were being blocked by soldiers at the city gate and were struggling with how to enter the city.

"You and Aer go to the city gate checkpoint. There are four outsiders there. Find one of them to be your guide back to the village... Never mind, depart tomorrow night. I'll arrange other guides for you then."

Li Li opened his eyes and granted his own authority to the [Unsealed Saintess Aperlia], enabling this Gold Rank female Knight to also have the ability to upgrade and advance players.

He felt a strong interest in the demigod-ranked [Despair Saintess - Aperlia] and the crystal [Heart of Blazing Flames] that could isolate corruption.

Li Li planned to have the players determine the fastest route, then have Aer carry the crystal sealing Aperlia and bring both items he was interested in back.

However, before that, he still needed to keep Aer by his side until after tomorrow's meeting.

After appeasing the Knights a few more times, Li Li concluded the night's exchange.

Although his warehouse was quite empty, he couldn't let the Knights who had traveled a long distance sleep on the stone brick floor covered with express boxes.

Li Li found the two treants rooted at the warehouse entrance and asked Gaudeliv for help arranging accommodation for everyone.

With some time left before dawn, Li Li took out a mirror and posted an official event on his forum.

[Qualification Giveaway! Post your high-energy combat videos from "Despair Expedition OL" for a chance to win beta access to "Glory Expedition OL!"]

[Event Rules: Possessing strength is the reason to participate in the expedition! Post your combat videos in the "Speak Freely" section to enter a draw for 50 spots in the third public beta. Everyone, participate quickly!]