161: Cooperation breaks down

The clamor of the Black Rye Tavern was as persistent as ever, seemingly capable of swallowing all secrets.

Lin Mo and Luo Li's glasses lightly clinked in the air, emitting a crisp sound that served as a pause for their startlingly intense secret discussion.

The ale in their cups was drained in one gulp; the burning sensation of the spicy liquid sliding down their throats was far less intense than the fiery flame of "resistance" burning in their hearts.

"Well then, a pleasant cooperation," Lin Mo said, setting down his glass with a calm tone.

"A pleasant cooperation," Luo Li's voice remained cool and clear, but the eyes hidden beneath the shadow of her cloak held a brilliance never seen before. "However, don't celebrate too soon.

The river of fate has become turbid because of you, the 'Poison Dragon' who intruded. The future is filled with countless forks in the road.

The outcome I saw is only the most probable one, but the path leading to that outcome is littered with traps more terrifying than death."

She stood up, her black cloak isolating her from the noisy surroundings, creating an independent and mysterious domain.

"I will find the clue for the next 'coordinate' as soon as possible. Before then, manage your people and manage yourself. Every step we take now could trigger enormous waves in the future."

As her words fell, her figure seemed to merge into the shadows, disappearing silently at the tavern entrance without attracting anyone's notice.

Lin Mo sat alone in the booth for a moment longer, processing the massive amount of information he had just received.

The alliance with Luo Li was undoubtedly a dangerous move. He had already witnessed this woman's cunning and methods in the Lost Temple. Cooperating with her was akin to asking a tiger for its skin.

But Lin Mo had no choice.

Facing the ultimate manipulator, the "Main God," who could treat even deities as mere pawns, any individual power seemed too insignificant.

He needed allies, especially top-tier players like Luo Li, who possessed the ability of "prophecy" and had also glimpsed the truth of the world.

"Traps, huh..." A cold, sharp glint flashed in Lin Mo's eyes. "Then I shall use the traps to inject the most Deadly Poison into so-called 'fate'."

He stood up and left the tavern, his figure quickly blending into the ceaseless flow of people in the City of Glory...

Shadowless Hall, temporary guild headquarters.

When Lin Mo pushed open the door, he was greeted by a tidal wave of cheers.

"The Boss is back!"

"Poison God is awesome!!"

The entire guild hall was filled with an almost fanatical atmosphere of joy. All the guild members wore expressions of excitement and adoration.

In the center of the hall, mountains of dazzling equipment and items were piled up, glittering with various colors, with the Dark Gold and legendary grade equipment being the most conspicuous.

These were the spoils dropped by the elite team of the Oracle Guild, and their value was enough to drive any veteran guild insane.

"Boss, you're finally back! Come and see what we gained this time!" Iron Wall's booming voice rang out. He was holding a newly acquired, massive tower shield that shimmered with dark gold luster, grinning from ear to ear.

Summer Rain was nearby, directing logistics personnel to sort and tally the spoils. Seeing Lin Mo return, the tension on her face eased into a genuine smile.

"Lin Mo, are you alright?" She walked up to him, asking with concern.

"I'm fine." Lin Mo smiled and shook his head. His gaze swept over the excited faces in the hall, and the heaviness in his heart was greatly diluted by the enthusiastic atmosphere.

No matter how arduous the road ahead, at least he wasn't fighting alone. He still had this group of partners willing to follow and trust him.

"Alright, everyone quiet down!" Lin Mo clapped his hands, signaling for silence.

He walked up to the mountain of spoils and announced loudly, "During this trip to the Lost Temple, although we suffered betrayal and lost some brothers, we had the last laugh! These spoils are the medals of our victory!"

"Now, let's distribute the rewards based on merit!"

Following Lin Mo's command, the entire headquarters erupted!

The "Spoils Distribution Conference" officially began!

Lin Mo held nothing back. He distributed the top-tier equipment and rare items one by one, based on each member's contribution, class requirements, and individual potential during the operation.

"Iron Wall, this [Wall of Hydra's Sigh], a legendary grade shield, is yours. Its 'Petrification Aura' effect is enough to take your crowd control abilities to the next level!"

"Summer Rain, this [Tender Branch of the Ancient Life Tree], a legendary grade staff, has the special effects of 'Group Purification' and 'Life Link.' From now on, our team's margin for error relies on you."

"And this skill book, [Holy Light Barrier], goes to our Paladin Regiment Leader..."

Piece after piece of top-tier equipment, enough to shake the market, was generously distributed by Lin Mo.

Everyone whose name was called was flushed with excitement, their hands trembling slightly as they received the equipment from Lin Mo.

They knew this was not just a piece of equipment, but also the Guild Leader's recognition and trust!

The distribution, lasting only an hour, caused a transformative leap in the strength of the Shadowless Hall's core team!

Nearly all core members were now equipped with a full set of Level 50 Dark Gold gear, and team leaders like Iron Wall and Summer Rain even possessed legendary grade core equipment.

The overall strength of the guild instantly rose by more than one level!

When all the spoils had been distributed, the fervent atmosphere in the hall reached its peak.

However, Lin Mo raised his hand again, signaling for silence.

The smile on his face slowly faded, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.

"Brothers," his voice was steady and strong, clearly reaching everyone's ears, "Equipment and wealth are merely the means for us to become stronger, not the ultimate goal."

"Starting today, I require everyone to forget past glories and forget the struggles with other guilds. We must enter the highest level of combat readiness! Spare no effort to raise your level, hone your skills, and familiarize yourselves with your new abilities!"

"Because the enemy we are about to face is no longer Mad Dragon, nor Overlord, nor Oracle... but an existence far stronger and far more terrifying than them."

Lin Mo's words instantly silenced the previously fervent hall. Everyone looked at him with confusion, not understanding why he would say such things when the guild's reputation had reached its peak.

Lin Mo did not explain much; he knew the truth was too shocking and could only guide them step by step.

He simply used his deep eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything, to slowly scan every person present.

"I cannot tell you exactly who the enemy is. But I can guarantee you that it will be a war that sweeps across the entire 'epoch' world, and perhaps... affect all of us."

"In the face of this war, our current strength is far from sufficient."

"I need you to become the sharpest swords and the sturdiest shields in the shortest amount of time! Can you do that?!"

After a brief silence, Iron Wall was the first to step forward. He heavily slammed the legendary grade giant shield onto the ground, producing a muffled thud.

"Boss, wherever you point, we will strike!"

"Exactly! Who cares who the enemy is! Let's just do it!"

"We swear to follow the Guild Leader until death!"

The tidal wave of responses echoed through the entire hall once more. Perhaps they did not yet understand the deeper meaning of Lin Mo's words, but they trusted him unconditionally.

Looking at the passionate partners before him, Lin Mo nodded, a warm current rising in his heart...

After the meeting concluded, Lin Mo arranged the guild's subsequent development matters and then logged off.

Merging the Godhead, glimpsing the truth of the world, clashing with Luo Li... the events of the day had taken a massive toll on his mental energy.

The gaming pod slowly opened, and Lin Mo sat up inside, letting out a long sigh.

The familiar room and furnishings gave him a feeling of being separated from the world.

He habitually stretched his body, but was surprised to find that the sense of power within him was much stronger than before.

He could even clearly feel extremely faint energies carrying the aura of "deathly silence" and "decay" floating in the air, and these energies were being slowly absorbed and converted by his body.

"The synchronization rate between reality and the game has increased again..." Lin Mo muttered to himself.

He opened his phone and habitually browsed the news.

A bold international news headline instantly captured his full attention.

[Joint Statement Released by Observatories in Multiple Countries: Recently, the Earth's magnetic field has shown abnormal fluctuations of unknown cause, and several extremely subtle but high-frequency spatial ripples have been detected globally... Experts state this phenomenon is unprecedented, and the specific reasons are under urgent investigation.]

Seeing this news, Lin Mo's pupils suddenly constricted.

He knew this was not a natural phenomenon.

This was... a sign that the two worlds were beginning to intersect!

Just then, his phone vibrated with a "buzz."

It was an encrypted message; the sender was unknown, marked only by a symbol. But Lin Mo knew this was the contact method he and Luo Li had agreed upon.

He opened the message; the content was extremely brief.

There was only a coordinate in the Death Canyon on the Japanese server, along with a single sentence.

"The first 'coordinate' has been found. But he seems... unfriendly. He just single-handedly slaughtered a coalition army of top guilds numbering a thousand people."