Chapter 157: Moving to the Advanced Base

Sterl looked at the two girls, whose faces were filled with immense joy, and took charge of the situation.

"Of course! Would I lie to you?"

"I told you, I joined that mission from the Dark Moon Alliance with that senior. Even though I was just a small fry and didn't contribute much, it still opened up my contribution and reputation with the Dark Moon Alliance."

"The Dark Moon Alliance is a massive entity that controls over 70 average countries within the Divine Mountain Empire!"

"Just being able to exchange things within the Alliance is enough to get you special treatment at the advanced base. Right now, I'm considered top talent among the human race on Earth!"

Sterl was making it up as he went along.

By the way, the mysterious senior's initial image came from Teresa, and now it was based on Faye.

In any case, he just needed to keep up the pretense for now.

As for his lack of contribution in the Dark Moon Alliance mission, Sterl wasn't entirely wrong. The Newborn Sprout of Creation that the Dark Moon Alliance wanted was directly snatched by Sterl!

Sterl's involvement was purely incidental. By rounding it off, it was as if he had no contribution at all...

No problem there.

Linna and Rayna didn't doubt him. They just marveled, "You're so lucky."

"Ever since becoming a player, you've always had someone to lean on!"

"It's our luck!" Sterl corrected them. After some light-hearted bantering, the three of them packed their luggage. Linna and Rayna felt a bit sorry about abandoning the villa they had only stayed in for two days.

Sterl had to practically drag them out to leave smoothly!

When the trio arrived at the teleportation array, there was no need for any identification. Seeing the faces of Sterl, Linna, and Rayna, the guards immediately knew that they were high-ranking members of the human race!

This was all part of the arrangements made by those families.

By the way, Sterl had thoroughly erased his personal information both online and offline before informing the families about Linna and Rayna. He wanted them to help the girls level up and develop in the future.

After all, the intelligence networks of these families were not to be underestimated. Previously, dealing with some rogue players was manageable with Teresa's oversight, and Sterl didn't think those players would dare to investigate his information.

However, dealing with the families was a different matter entirely. There were too many people involved, and even though Sterl had signed loyalty contracts with some, not everyone had agreed. It was highly probable that someone could trace back from Linna and Rayna to uncover some information about Sterl.

But now, with all the data destroyed, the only people who originally knew about Sterl and his associates were just ordinary people and a few non-professional players. Over the past two days, Teresa had secretly "handled" these individuals.

Of course, after they died and returned to reality, Sterl logged out and transferred them to his newly established base. There, without radiation, Sterl provided them with good food and accommodations, making their living standards even better than in [Transcendence]. The only downside was the loss of freedom...

With this operation complete, Sterl no longer had to worry about his information being leaked. Even if those families investigated in the future, the most they could find out would be Sterl's real name, and even that was unlikely.

"Teresa and Daphne's data storage points in the offline gathering spots haven't been fully identified yet."

"Once we locate their data storage, I'll select a core group of players, destroy all data, and have them move to my base in reality."

"At that time, I'll bring Linna and Rayna along too."

Sterl was planning all this in his mind.

At this moment, he, Linna, and Rayna finally stepped onto the teleportation array.

"Wait, isn't that the family head of the 'Stars' family???"

"Why is he bowing and scraping in front of those two girls? Their aura is so weak. They're not even second class."

"What on earth is going on? Could they be descendants of a legendary warrior?"

Sterl watched the scene from a distance with a slight smile before turning to leave.

The 'Stars' family hadn't pledged allegiance to him, but Sterl had already established the fearsome reputation of "David." Everyone wanted to curry favor with him. No one dared provoke him!

The families knew their only way in was through Linna and Rayna, so even the family head himself showed up to familiarize himself and make a good impression.

As for the safety of the two girls, Sterl wasn't worried. He had hidden a Moon Law and a Flowing Water Law within their bodies.

Law Power was inherently very strong. Additionally, Sterl had recently acquired a teleportation scroll similar to the one he used in the Netherworld, capable of mass teleportation, allowing him to instantly return to Linna and Rayna's side.

On a side note, he had used another evolution point on [Gate of Hell (Incomplete)] over the past few days, but unfortunately, he found that the skill showed little change after leveling up, only increasing the gate's defense.

It seemed to be another one of those skills with a low starting point but a high ceiling, requiring multiple upgrades to reach its true potential...

Having dealt with everything, Sterl finally felt at ease as he stepped into the teleportation array to head to the capital of the Divine Mountain Empire.

As he emerged from the teleportation array, something felt off.

He was surrounded by a group of heavily armored soldiers wielding sharp blades. Upon seeing him, their eyes lit up. "Come here! The capital is on lockdown. Everyone must have their identity verified before proceeding."

Immediately, the teleportation array behind Sterl went dark.

Clearly, the capital was now a one-way entrance!

"Is there a show to watch?" Sterl was slightly surprised but remained calm.

To his knowledge, the top combat power of the Divine Mountain Empire should be at most legendary, with perhaps a hidden demigod.

Even if he couldn't win, he could escape, and he had his ascend to godhood ability as a safeguard. So, he looked at the soldiers, hesitated briefly, and then obediently walked forward to have his identity checked.

"Spike, is it? A merchant from the Principality of Morrow??"

"Bad luck for you, kid. The city is on lockdown. Find an inn to stay in and don't come out, or don't blame us if our blades show no mercy."

Sterl used the Veil of Nothingness and Star Insight to disguise himself with a random identity.

The Principality of Morrow, known as a nation of commerce, turned out to be quite a useful cover. The soldiers, who initially wore fierce expressions, softened considerably, only instructing Sterl to find a place to stay and forbidding him from leaving.

Playing his part to the end, Sterl, as a merchant, nodded and bowed, repeatedly expressing his thanks before finding an inn and booking a room.

However, just a few seconds later, a soldier-like figure exited through the back door of the inn.

"What exactly is going on??"

A faint light screen appeared before Sterl's eyes.

[Temporary Objective: Investigate the upheaval in the capital of the Divine Mountain Empire.]

[Warning: This objective is significantly related to your hidden and main storyline quests. Failure may result in the disappearance of these quests.]