Chapter 674: Dares to Tease the Goddess of Willow Garden

When it came to giving the Sword-Warlock Class-Change Scroll and deciding who should change classes, however, Marcus still couldn’t make up his mind. He decided to leave it for later. There was no point rushing the decision when he hadn’t figured out who would benefit most from it.

Besides, the loot dropped by the Black-Robed Corpse General was clearly a complete set: the Class-Change Scroll, the skill book, the Black-Robed Warlock Staff, and the Black-Robed Longsword. Whoever ended up with them would gain a class and equipment combination that was certainly not to be underestimated.

By then, SoulfireBlade had already pulled the Soul-Severing Needle from the Black-Robed Corpse General’s body.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

As the needle came free, thin strands of gray necrotic energy seeped from the corpse. Once the needle was removed, the energy sustaining it dissipated, and the Soul-Severing Needle became nothing more than an ordinary piece of iron.

At the same time, the corpse of Black-Robed General Jasper returned to its original state and lay quietly on the ground. But what were they supposed to do with it now? They couldn’t very well leave it lying there forever.

Marcus was still wondering what would happen next when SoulfireBlade suddenly pulled out a scroll and tossed it into the air. A flash of energy followed, and a teleportation gate materialized before them.

A moment later, a white-haired old man hurried through the gate. He glanced around at his surroundings, then looked at the group with barely concealed excitement.

"Well? Did you complete the quest?" It was none other than the System Elder who had issued the quest in the first place.

"Yeah."

SoulfireBlade handed him the Soul-Severing Needle, then pointed toward Jasper’s body on the ground.

"Wuuu..."

The moment the System Elder saw the corpse, his composure crumbled. He rushed forward and threw himself over the body, bursting into tears. He wept for a long while before finally managing to speak again.

"Thank you for saving my ancestor. I’ll find him a resting place so that he may finally rest in peace. In three days, come to my residence in Pegasus Citadel, in the City of Knights, to claim your reward."

After saying this, the System Elder carefully hoisted the body of Black-Robed General Jasper onto his shoulder and carried it through the teleportation gate. A flash of light followed, and both the old man and the gate disappeared.

Quest Complete!

SoulfireBlade turned to Marcus with a smile. "Stone, we couldn’t have done this without you." He already knew a little about the rewards the System Elder would provide, and they were nothing to scoff at. In fact, they were the kind of rewards that could make even the most well-equipped players green with envy.

With the quest complete, everyone happily gathered around the altar to inspect the remaining loot. These were burial goods that had been left behind since the time of Black-Robed General Jasper, and even after all those years, their value was still considerable.

Spread across the wide altar were three pieces of Golden equipment, five pieces of Blue equipment, two Level 50 skill books, several antiques that could be exchanged for gold coins with designated system NPCs, and ten gleaming Dreamland Gems.

"Stone, take these ten Dreamland Gems. If you need more, I’ll get some from the warehouse when we return and help you upgrade your equipment."

Following the latest system update, the value of Dreamland Gems had become even more apparent. They were essential resources for upgrading equipment, and with demand rising, their worth was only going to increase.

Yet SoulfireBlade didn’t hesitate for even a second. He handed all ten gems to Marcus, then gestured toward the remaining treasures on the altar. "This quest was only possible because of you. Without your help, we wouldn’t have gotten this far, let alone completed it. You take first pick."

"Mhm." Marcus smiled and nodded, but rather than reaching for the equipment or skill books, he picked up the antiques instead. They were only useful for exchanging with designated NPCs for gold coins, making them the least appealing items to SoulfireBlade and the others.

SoulSync had barely started speaking. "Stone..." Marcus cut him off with an easygoing smile. "Blade, Sync, we’re all friends here. There’s no need to be so particular about who gets what. Besides, I happen to like gold coins more than anything else."

"Stone." SoulSync patted him on the shoulder and grinned. "Back in Newbie Village, when you helped me out, I knew you were a loyal friend worth having. Looks like I wasn’t wrong."

Marcus chuckled. "You’re the Soulfire Guild Master. Of course I’ve got to keep you happy. Wouldn’t want to offend a big name like you."

SoulfireBlade promptly gave him a light punch on the shoulder. "Stone, you bastard..."

"Heh."

The three men stood together, laughing and trading insults like old friends. Before long, they couldn’t resist shoving each other around, their easy camaraderie making it clear that none of them took the teasing to heart.

Nearby, the Soulfire Elites and the vixen Lydia witnessed the scene together. Marcus, SoulfireBlade, and SoulSync stood in a triangle, each of them already a hero in his own right. With their top-tier equipment and imposing presence, they looked even more impressive standing side by side.

It was enough to make anyone’s blood boil, and that familiar surge of excitement swept through the onlookers, stirring the kind of passion that made their hearts race. This was the essence of gaming, the very thing that kept people coming back for more.

There was more to a game than killing monsters, hunting for equipment, and watching your strength grow day by day. There were also battles, duels, and opportunities to unleash the fire burning inside you.

But beyond all that, there was something even more precious: meeting people who shared your interests, understood you without needing everything explained, and were willing to fight alongside you, help you when you were in trouble, and enjoy the journey with you.

That was what made games so damn addictive.

The passion, loyalty, friendship, and brotherhood forged in a game could be just as genuine as anything found in real life. That was especially true of Dominion, with its staggering 99% immersion. When the experience felt so real, the bonds formed within it could become just as meaningful.

Fighting alongside friends, sharing victories and hardships, knowing that someone had your back when things went wrong.

Marcus couldn’t help remembering a slogan from an old game. At the time, it had seemed like an ordinary marketing line, but looking back, he realized there was something surprisingly profound about it. Another saying came to mind as well: ’You can lose your equipment, and you can lose your levels, but never lose your friendship or your dignity.’

Unfortunately, Lydia, that shameless vixen, had to ruin the moment. "You three, stop being so gross!"

She shot the three men an exasperated look before turning her attention to Marcus. Her expression immediately changed, and she flashed him a sweet smile that could have melted the heart of almost any man.

"Come on, let’s head back to town. I’ll cook a few of my specialties and personally reward our great hero, Stonehaven."

"Sure."

SoulfireBlade began collecting the equipment from the altar while the other Soulfire players put away their pets and prepared their Town Portal Scrolls. One after another, they started returning to the city.

Of course, Lydia had no intention of letting Marcus escape so easily. She sidled closer, her expression innocent and curious, while her devastatingly beautiful face displayed a charm that made it difficult for anyone to look away.

"Stone, what exactly did the Black-Robed Corpse General drop? Come on, let me have a peek."

It was a genuinely tempting sight, and the way she acted so coy and well-behaved only made matters worse.

Marcus could feel his heart beating faster despite knowing perfectly well what kind of woman he was dealing with. Lydia was stunning, of course. Her beauty alone was enough to make her stand out in any crowd, but there was something even more dangerous about her allure. In terms of charm and the ability to unsettle a man’s composure, she could easily surpass even Willow Moran and Talia.

"You’re a real vixen."

Marcus couldn’t decide whether he was annoyed with her or enjoying himself far too much. Either way, one thought kept running through his mind: ’This woman really is a man’s natural predator.’

A mischievous impulse took hold of him, and while Lydia was still focused on coaxing him into revealing the loot, Marcus suddenly leaned toward her, bringing his face close to hers. Her delicate features, as fresh and lovely as peach blossoms glistening after the rain, filled his vision, and the faint, intoxicating fragrance surrounding her drifted straight into his senses.

Then, just as he was close enough for her to feel his breath, he lowered his voice and whispered, "Shh." He paused for effect before adding, "Keep it down. They’re two divine artifacts."

Sure enough, Lydia’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink.

Marcus had guessed correctly. Despite the seductive charm she usually displayed, she wasn’t nearly as composed as she pretended to be when a man actually invaded her personal space. Caught completely off guard by his sudden advance, she recoiled like a startled young girl, hurriedly putting some distance between them.

Her expression immediately turned indignant, though the embarrassment still lingering on her face betrayed her. "You bastard!"

Just as Talia and Jennifer, the Southern Kitchen Maiden, had said, Lydia might have possessed a pair of mesmerizing eyes that seemed to lure men in with every glance, but she had never actually allowed a man to get close to her.

She was absurdly proud, and ordinary men weren’t even worthy of her attention. Her peerless beauty and flawless figure were already enough to turn heads wherever she went, while the seductive expressions and enchanting glances she so often displayed were little more than a carefully maintained facade. In other words, all that flirtatious behavior was just smoke and mirrors.

Of course, Marcus had already begun to figure this out from his interactions with her. Lydia seemed to flirt with men at every opportunity, yet none of the Soulfire Elites, including SoulfireBlade and SoulSync, ever responded with improper thoughts or tried to take advantage of her advances. If anything, her antics seemed to give them headaches.

It wasn’t as though they were eunuchs or lacked the blood of young men. They were all vigorous, hot-blooded men, and Lydia was undeniably beautiful. The fact that they could remain so composed around a woman like her said plenty about how well they knew her. They understood exactly what kind of person she was.

Because no matter how seductive and charming Lydia appeared, no matter how often she seemed to tempt the men around her, she never allowed any of them to cross the line. That was Lydia, the Goddess of Willow Garden.

There was a reason she had earned the title of Goddess. Yes, she was as beautiful and alluring as one, capable of stirring a man’s heart with nothing more than a glance. But that wasn’t the only reason. She was untouchable.

No man could get close enough to claim her, let alone win her affection. Like a goddess descending from the heavens, she was someone people could admire from afar, someone they could dream about but never hope to reach. Lydia, the Goddess of Willow Garden, was precisely that kind of woman.

And with the backing of her family’s Willow Garden Gourmet House, she possessed the wealth, influence, and status to maintain that untouchable position. She had no need to lower herself for anyone, and she certainly wasn’t going to let some man take liberties with her.

"You..." Marcus’s sudden ambush left Lydia furious. She wanted nothing more than to tear into him, yet her heart was still pounding, and she couldn’t quite shake the sensation of his breath against her face. For a brief moment, she was so flustered that she couldn’t even find the right words.

The worst part was that Marcus clearly knew he had gotten the better of her. With a smug grin, he waved goodbye to her before activating the teleportation scroll SoulSync had given him. A flash of light enveloped his body, and he disappeared, leaving her standing there with a face full of indignation.

Lydia couldn’t help cursing after him. "Stone, you bastard!" She had already decided that she would never forgive him for this humiliation, a decision that made SoulfireBlade and SoulSync exchange uneasy glances.

Neither of them had expected Marcus to provoke her so brazenly. And judging by Lydia’s expression, this was hardly something she would forget anytime soon.

"Boss, it’s done!"

"Boss, did you get the reward?"

Lydia used Soulfire Guild’s exclusive teleportation scroll to return to the guild hall. She had barely arrived when she began looking around for Marcus, fully intending to find him and make him pay for what he’d done.

Unfortunately, before she could act, more than a dozen core members of Soulfire Guild crowded around her, shouting questions and talking over one another. Their excitement quickly drowned out anything she might have wanted to say.

"Hmph!" Lydia could only glare at Marcus through the chaotic crowd. The look she gave him this time was anything but seductive. There was no coyness or lovestruck embarrassment in her eyes, only the unmistakable promise that he would pay for this sooner or later.

"Heh." Marcus, meanwhile, was still grinning to himself. He couldn’t have been more pleased with how things had turned out, and Lydia’s furious expression only made the whole affair more amusing. Although he knew better than to underestimate that vixen, he couldn’t help entertaining a few mischievous thoughts about her.

Still, as he looked around at the bustling guild hall, he couldn’t help feeling a little out of place. Soulfire Guild was in the middle of a celebration, and he was an outsider who had merely stopped by to help with a quest.

He figured it was about time to say goodbye to SoulfireBlade and SoulSync and let them get back to their business. But before he could speak, the elites discussing the completed quest suddenly erupted into excitement.

"Boss! Milo and the others found two low-level Blood Clan Bosses traveling together!"

Someone else immediately shouted, "Boss, send reinforcements! Milo says the Inferno Guild is there too!"

A Soulfire member then rushed in from outside, practically shouting as he reported the news. "Boss, all the brothers are already heading to Milo’s location. Hurry!"

Milo must have announced his discovery through the guild system, because the Soulfire members outside were already rushing toward the location of the Blood Clan Bosses and their Savage Tribe companions.

From the looks of things, the area outside was about to descend into complete chaos.