Chapter 89: The bodyguard and the late night singer

As the morning sunlight cast long shadows across the Westland and the surrounding dilapidated buildings, Jacob was seen leaning casually against the door of his sedan car. He was idly scrolled through his mobile phone, clearly waiting for someone to arrive.

?His personal assistant stood right beside him in her usual formal attire. Holding a tablet securely in her right hand, her eyes were unfocused, lost in her own thoughts.

?Suddenly, a single luxury SUV appeared in the distance. Strangely, there were no accompanying escort vehicles; the SUV traveled completely alone. Jacob paused his phone browsing, simply observing the approaching vehicle as it navigated the road. After a few short minutes, the SUV came to a halt directly in front of him.

?The rear passenger door swung, and Diana stepped out first, she reached into the back to retrieve a folding wheelchair, before turning to assist Smith . Simultaneously, Sarafina stepped out from the front passenger seat, and went to help Diana. Finally, the driver’s side door opened, and Caesar emerged. Maintaining his usual distinctive dressing style and authoritative demeanor, he rounded the front of the vehicle and walked over to stand directly in front of Jacob alongside Smith and the rest of the group.

?Seeing them arrive on time, Jacob greeted them with a wry, amused smile. "Hello, everyone. Sorry for cutting your recovery period so short. But as I mentioned to Diana on the phone, it was an urgent request straight from the elders, and it needs to be handled as quickly as possible."

?Smith just shook his head. "You don’t have to worry about that. When the message arrived, the girls were even more excited to get out there and take on the mission. They insisted that the short rest they had was more than enough for them."

?And what Smith said was the absolute truth. Although they had rested for less than a full day after returning from their severe, comatose-like state—having only truly slept and fully rested for a few hours late last night—the moment the girls heard that another mission had become available, they were the first to jump at the opportunity. Smith had been genuinely concerned about their physical and mental well-being, but they insisted with unyielding enthusiasm that they were feeling perfectly fine.

?What else could he do except let them have their way? That was precisely why, when the formal notification of the meeting location came in during the night, the girls were already fully awake, geared up, and prepared by 5:00 a.m., actively urging Smith to reach the designated destination as fast as possible.

?Furthermore, as Diana prepared to organize a security convoy for their early morning departure, Caesar had flatly insisted on coming along himself. After realizing that a single car was more than enough for the whole group with Caesar present, Diana canceled the extensive security convoy. After all, how could any convoy offer better protection than a Transcendent rank powerhouse sitting in the driver’s seat?

?Looking closely at Elder Caesar standing beside Smith, while occasionally peeking cheeky glances toward Sarafina, Jacob couldn’t help but let a mischievous grin spread across his face. "I see someone has already resigned from his prestigious position as Grand Elder just to become a personal driver and bodyguard. It seems the Frostborn Family has officially lost a Grand Elder today."

?Caesar snorted loudly at the sarcastic remark, though a subtle smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Thank you for the warm welcome and the flattering compliment. Honestly, I’m quite satisfied with my current position. At least I can live a free, ordinary life with the person I love. As for someone else... starting today, I believe he’ll be singing in a cathedral choir every single night, supplemented with a generous dose of vocal stimulants. He’ll certainly need a remarkably talented Choir Master to assist him—and perhaps a dedicated throat-healing session after every performance just to manage the next day’s tasks."

?Caesar’s biting jab was directed squarely at Jacob, implicating his rumored, notoriously sadistic new fiancée. It was widely known that such individuals derived pleasure from the visible suffering and screams of others, meaning Jacob would likely have to put on a grand, dramatic performance of screaming in simulated agony every night just to keep her entertained and pleased.

?Hearing this accusation, Jacob almost coughed up a mouthful of blood. The accusation was completely absurd and utterly ridiculous, but knowing how stubborn and razor-tongued the old man could be, he knew better than to try arguing back.

?"Alright, alright, you two," Smith interrupted the escalating playful banter. "Let’s get down to actual business."

?Both men immediately quieted down, and Jacob cleared his throat, his playful demeanor instantly melting away into a serious tone. "Right. As I mentioned earlier, I received direct orders from the elders. We need you to reach the Intermediate rank as fast as possible so we can proceed with our primary plans. Things on the other side didn’t go according to our initial calculations, and the tight deadline has been pushed forward significantly. That’s why we submitted an urgent mission request to accelerate your overall growth."

?Jacob paused, letting his words settle before continuing, "Listen very carefully, Smith. Your immediate goal right now is to reach the peak of the Novice rank when the primary task assigned by the elders will officially begin."

?Smith nodded calmly, his expression resolute. "Understood."

?Since his Queens were currently resting peacefully inside his spiritual space, Smith didn’t require any physical preparations. He was dressed in a simple tracksuit designed for a dungeon run.

?"If that’s all, then let’s move without wasting another second," Smith said.

?"Follow me," Jacob instructed,the group to follow.

?He led the group down a narrow alleyway situated between two dilapidated buildings. behind the passage was a swirling a Dungeon Portal.

?"This is a recently discovered dungeon found by our family," Jacob explained, pointing a finger toward the swirling portal "It’s a standard, completely non-mutated Intermediate ranked dungeon. Our initial team confirmed it is an open-field dungeon, making it an absolute ideal setting for you to farm a massive amount of Aura Points in a very short period."

?Smith glanced over at Sarafina standing right beside him. a slot of Enhancement Stones had been allocated to his aunt, Sarafina had formally awakened as a player. She, too, was wearing a practical tracksuit suitable for her very first dungeon run, though her slightly tense shoulders and frequent glances at the glowing portal betrayed her inner nervousness.

?Noticeable of her rising anxiety, Smith offered her a warm smile. "Don’t worry at all, Aunt even though this is technically an Intermediate rank dungeon and I’m still a Novice rank player but I can handle everything inside without any issues."

?Sarafina shook her head. "I’m not worried about your ability to protect me, Smith. I know how capable you are. It’s just... this is my very first time standing before a real dungeon portal and facing something like this. I’m just not used to it."

?"That’s completely normal," Smith replied gently, his voice calm and comforting. "I felt extremely uncomfortable for my first time too. Just picture the monsters like wild livestock or farm chickens, and you’ll get used to the sensation soon enough."

?"Okay," Sarafina breathed out, taking a deep, steadying breath to settle herself. "I’ll do my best."

?While Caesar, Jacob, Diana, and Jacob’s assistant stood outside perimeter of the portal, Smith and Sarafina stepped forward into the dungeon.

?They materialized amidst a vast, dense tropical rainforest. Towering trees with massive trunks stretched high into the upper canopy, completely blocking out the open sky. All around them, tangled thorny bushes and lush, thick foliage heavily restricted their line of sight to mere meters in every direction. The air was heavy, carrying the rich smell of damp earth characteristic of a jungle.

?"Alright," Smith said, turning his head toward his aunt . "Summon our Queens."

?With a swift wave of his hand, Smith called upon his spiritual space, his girls materialized around him, already wearing their polished armor and gripping their weapons tightly, fully prepared for immediate combat.

?At the same time, Sarafina concentrated her thoughts and summoned her own Queen.

?she wore simple,brown leather armor and held a standard iron sword. She possessed a Bronze Title which boost speed clearly a swordswoman and her name was Linda.

?Linda stood motionless and quiet beside Sarafina after materializing, her head slightly bowed in shyness.

?Seeing her summoned Queen’s timid and reserved demeanor, Sarafina offered an apologetic, embarrassed smile to Smith’s group. "Please don’t mind her quietness. She really isn’t used to being around so many people yet."

?"It’s no problem at all," Smith replied reassuringly with a friendly nod. "Everyone starts somewhere. Let’s focus on our surroundings and the primary objective."

?Velvet immediately stepped forward to the front of the group, instinctively taking command of the group. Her sharp eyes scanned the dense vegetation around them. "Judging by the terrain and geography, our vision is heavily obstructed by this foliage. Let’s identify the local fauna before we push outward. Vesper, climb elevated ground and scout the immediate perimeter—"

?Before Velvet could even finish giving her orders, Vesper suddenly froze mid-step, her head snapping forward as her sharp eyes locked onto a dense thicket of massive bushes ahead.

?"Something massive is approaching fast from the tree line!" Vesper warned in a sharp.

?The air instantly sharpened with palpable tension.

?"Combat positions! Form up and be ready for anything!" Velvet shouted, instantly drawing her weapon.

?The others moved with lightning-fast, practiced precision. Velvet, Vesper, and the others instantly established vanguard, their weapons held high in readied stances. Behind them, Fiona and Valeria immediately stepped backward, flanking Smith and Sarafina tightly to form an impenetrable defensive circle, ensuring no sudden flank attack could reach the two players.

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