"The five leaders, the deputy leader asked me to wait here for you."
The newcomer was a player dressed in fine leather armor. He wore a smile, his manner neither servile nor overbearing. "The leader and the senior officers are waiting for you in the main hall. Please follow me."
The five quickly gathered themselves and nodded politely. "Sorry for the trouble."
Following the player, the five headed down the main road toward the center of the base.
Along the way, their guide deliberately slowed his pace.
Ling Yue and the others naturally understood his intention. He was showing them the Expedition Alliance's wealth and prosperity.
They took in the orderly layout along the road and the many buildings and facilities.
And as the players in the base regarded them with a mixture of scrutiny and pride, the five leaders' feelings grew increasingly complicated.
At last, they reached the center of the base, where a magnificent hall stood before them.
"The leader and the others are inside. Please enter."
Their guide stopped and stepped aside, gesturing for them to proceed.
The five nodded, their gazes lingering on the towering doors.
As one, they drew deep breaths to steady their pounding hearts, then walked into the hall.
The light dimmed slightly the moment they stepped inside, but blazing braziers on either side lit the hall brightly.
The five first swept their gazes quickly around the interior.
The floor paved with Black Stone and the thick stone pillars carved with totems all lent the place a solemn grandeur.
Then they spotted Mo Yu, Whirlwind, and more than a dozen senior Alliance officers standing below the steps.
They stood in two rows, their sharp gazes fixed on the five newcomers.
Under those gazes, the five continued to look ahead.
Above a flight of