222: Chapter 222 Since we're already here, it won't be a wasted trip.

Chen You stared at the pop-up window in front of him, completely numb.

The names of the four team members all had a conspicuous green checkmark next to them, except for his own.

Next to the names of Salos, Oro, and Arrow of the Moon were three huge question marks.

In the corner of the pop-up window, a red '60 second' countdown was ticking down mercilessly.

59... 58...

"Holy crap..."

Chen You's mouth twitched violently.

All he wanted was to quickly grind out the Legendary Set rewarded by the Anniversary Event.

After all, he could only attempt The Path of the Monarch once a week, so getting gear was too slow.

Who would have thought he forgot he was still in a party!

He instinctively assumed that when forming a party to run a dungeon, teammates would enter through the dungeon entrance themselves.

He had overlooked this NPC teleportation method!

What was this situation?

It was like the Hongmen Banquet suddenly pausing while Xiang Yu asked Liu Bang, "Bro, wanna queue up for a game?"

What should he do now? There wasn't even a cancel button on the system interface.

He could only watch the countdown decrease, leaving his fate in the hands of the other three 'idiots' who were likely having wild thoughts.

... ...

Titan Temple.

On the throne, Salos's massive frame leaned slightly forward, his bell-sized eyes fixed intently on the pop-up window before him.

"He... what does this mean?"

Tai Pi, standing beside him, had long since replaced the anger on his face with an expression mixed with shock and contemplation.

A flash of sudden realization crossed his eyes.

"Guild Leader! I understand!" Tai Pi's voice held a trace of excitement, "This Chen You is brilliant!"

Salos frowned: "Speak!"

"Think about it, Guild Leader. Chatting in the party channel is ultimately separated by vast distances; neither momentum nor sincerity can truly come across."

"He knows the three of us are present, so any words could be misinterpreted," Tai Pi analyzed thoroughly.

"Therefore, he used this method to pull everyone together directly! He wants to talk face-to-face!"

The more he spoke, the more sense it made: "This... can also be considered a form of sincerity."

"He... is afraid! This is actively showing goodwill!"

The anger in Salos's eyes had faded, replaced by a hint of solemnity.

A face-to-face meeting, huh...

It did fit the conduct of a powerhouse.

Bold, and direct.

With that thought, he no longer hesitated, tapping heavily on the virtual screen with his thick fingers.

["Yes"]!

... ...

Floating Sanctuary.

Oro's slender fingers rested on the soft fur of a small white beast. The cracked look of utter astonishment on his usually calm and indifferent face had not completely dissipated.

The Roman God Clan male standing beside him also arrived at what he considered the most reasonable conclusion after a fierce mental debate.

"Guild Leader, this person is malicious, yet extremely clever," the male whispered.

"Oh?" Oro raised an eyebrow.

"The three of us were waiting for him to speak, which implicitly formed an attitude of 'judgment'; this was our home ground."

"But his dungeon invitation instantly transformed the 'tribunal' into an 'unknown reception hall'."

"This is turning the tables, trying to seize the initiative back into his own hands!"

The male's eyes held a degree of apprehension.

"This way, both sides converse on an equal footing. This person's cunning... is bottomless!"

Oro revealed a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

Interesting.

He had initially assumed this was just some rich kid playing games, but it turned out he was a calculating chess player.

He definitely had to see what this rising star intended to do.

His fingertip tapped lightly.

["Yes"]!

... ...

City of Eternal Night, Moon Gods Radiance Guild Hall.

Arrow of the Moon watched as the names of Salos and Oro in the party list lit up with green checkmarks almost simultaneously.

She felt a bit dazed.

"Those two guys... they agreed already?"

She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Having interacted with Chen You several times, she always felt things weren't that complicated.

Given his lazy nature when it came to thinking, perhaps... he really just slipped up?

But now, the other two big shots on the leaderboard had clicked yes.

If she clicked [No] now, it probably wouldn't be appropriate, right?

Would she look like she couldn't read the situation? Was she deliberately causing trouble?

Or was she, the ally, going to fail him at the critical moment?

"Sigh..."

With a soft sigh, Arrow of the Moon reluctantly extended her finger.

["Yes"]!

... ...

["Ding! All team members have confirmed. The dungeon is about to start!"]

The countdown in front of Chen You stopped.

A blinding white light engulfed his vision.

When he could see his surroundings clearly again, he was already surrounded by a bizarre and fantastical scene.

The sky was filled with seven-colored, flowing sunset clouds, and the ground was covered in colorful grass as soft as cotton candy.

In the distance flowed a chocolate river bubbling with foam, and the air was permeated with a sweet, cloying vanilla scent.

This was the Land of Many Colors.

A place with an extremely childish aesthetic, specifically designed for players to grind for event rewards.

Or, it could simply be called the 'Rainbow Stage'.

However, in this fairy-tale setting, the atmosphere was so awkward one could practically carve out a Barbie Dreamhouse from it.

Chen You was 1.8 meters tall, which was decent in reality.

But now, he could only look up at the nearly five-meter-tall, ruggedly muscular Titan God Clan member beside him—Salos—who exuded terrifying pressure.

Next to Salos was Oro, the Roman God Clan member, about two meters tall, with an elegant and straight posture, the scaled stripes on his jaw emitting a faint glow.

On the other side was Arrow of the Moon, the Elf God Clan member, clad in magnificent robes, with a graceful figure and slightly trembling long, pointed ears.

The four figures, differing vastly in height, build, and style, stood awkwardly on the cotton candy grass, none of them speaking.

Especially Chen You, whose face was clearly etched with the word 'awkward'.

Finally, Salos was the first to break the deathly silence.

His voice, deep as a massive bell, sounded completely out of place in the sweet air.

"This is the place you chose for negotiations?" He surveyed his surroundings, his brow tightly furrowed, "It's very... unique."

Oro also spoke with a smile, his tone as composed as ever.

"It is indeed unexpected. In an environment like this, it certainly allows people to let down their guard."

"Guild Leader Chen, we understand your intentions."

"..."

Chen You opened his mouth, looking at the two big shots earnestly 'self-congratulating' themselves, and for a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

What intentions?

My only intention was to grind a set of Legendary gear!

He took a deep breath and decided to tell the truth.

"Um... actually..."

"No need for words," Salos waved his hand, interrupting him.

"We all understand. Speak, what are your terms?"

"You can have the Rank One spot, that's fine, but you must present reasons that convince us."

Oro added: "Alternatively, what message is the faction you represent trying to convey through this event?"

Seeing their expressions of 'I have already seen through everything,' Chen You swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

He suddenly felt that explaining might be more troublesome than not explaining.

If he explained, would they believe him?

Would a super tycoon who could casually spend 100,000 gold coins 'slip up' and drag the top three leaders of the leaderboard into an event dungeon together?

Even a dog wouldn't believe that if he said it.

If that was the case...

He might as well talk about something else!

Chen You cleared his throat, his awkward expression vanishing, replaced by one of profound, detached calm.

"Talking about those things is too serious,"

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Since everyone has graced us with their presence and entered..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three of them.

"Entering this event dungeon costs 10 Stamina each time."

"Since everyone is here, we can't waste it, right?"

Salos: "?"

Oro: "..."

Arrow of the Moon: "!"

The expressions on the faces of the three big shots froze at that moment.

Chen You's sentence echoed repeatedly in their minds.

Since everyone is here... can't waste Stamina...

So, creating such a grand spectacle, dragging the three of them from their respective territories...

Was it for...

Grinding dungeons for Work?

Just then, a rustle came from the pink grass not far away.

A round, fluffy rabbit monster with a single red cherry on its head hopped out.

It saw the four of them, tilted its head, and let out a soft, sweet cry.

"Mew~"