104: Chapter 104 Initiative? Give it to me!

Quiet, beautiful moments are always nice. Over the past few days, she sold flowers during the day, occasionally using the [Charm] skill to counsel heartbroken college students and other friends in trouble, helping them step out of the shadows.

At night, she helped He Xuan brew potions in the Coordination Office's Alchemy lab to replenish his stock and increase the survival rate of colleagues in dungeons.

When tired, she would sleep for a while in the "Sweet Dream Flower Shop" or the lab. Identifying herbs and brewing potions brought her [Herbalism] and [Alchemy] skills to Lv75, allowing her to promote to [Junior] rank.

Through the days spent together, He Xi also gradually integrated into the group, becoming friends with them in the true sense of the word.

Mia and her teammates were silently working hard to cultivate skills like [Golden Light Spell], [Five Treasures Protection: Tumulary Flow], and [Xu Step]. Mia also had to add [Ruyi Strength] to the mix. Her newly acquired, eerie ability, [Forced Trade], would give her a fighting chance the next time she was teleported into [Nightmare Cathedral]. It allowed her to exempt herself from the negative status of having her attributes wiped, and to extract a known, powerful buff or skill from the Original Owner of a body. (Because she previously lacked the attributes to activate the reconnaissance abilities of the Succubus Eye and the King's Eye, the current skill status of the Original Owner remained unknown.)

Good times are always short-lived.

[Paradise Lost System Special Broadcast: Mia's affiliated (Monster Squad of 4) and 1 person outside the squad, Luo Xiaoya.]

[Completion of war dungeon Lv0 "under one person — Tang Clan Arc" and "under one person — Rusted Iron Arc" anti-war timeline content.]

[Complete victory over the 5-person trial squad from the Wa Nation.]

[The Wa Nation's Paradise Lost has entered the review phase. Other Lv1-level squads have initiated an Arena Deathmatch against all Xia Kingdom Adventurers who cleared this dungeon!]

[Adventurers Mia, Tuaner, Ryan Nephalem, Loran, and Luo Xiaoya, all 5 of you, please choose whether to accept the deathmatch challenge from the Wa Nation!?]

[Deathmatch Arena Venue Announcement: The venue is being randomly selected... Selection successful — Ancient Roman Arena!!]

[There are no spectators in the arena, but it will be broadcast to the entire Paradise Lost domain for all Adventurers. All points received from tips during the broadcast will be allocated to the tipped Adventurer.]

[Competition Mode: Deathmatch/Forfeit. Both sides start from their number one contestant. If there is a forfeit or an Adventurer dies in battle, the next one in the sequence will step in, and the battle will continue. Before the first battle of the deathmatch (first match only), and before each subsequent match begins, Adventurers will be asked if they wish to forfeit or rotate to the next team member. Note: Forfeits are not accepted during combat!! Once you forfeit, you are no longer eligible to enter the deathmatch.]

[Both squads are Lv1 squads. Adventurers' maximum level does not exceed Lv19. No prohibited items may be carried (including strategic consumables such as forbidden magic scrolls, weapons, or combat mechs exceeding the current level). You may use all items owned by yourself or manufactured/derived by the squad (including technology, Alchemy, magic, mutation, etc.).]

[Both lineups are not disclosed and are not shared with each other. Only the average level is displayed. Adventurer levels will be disclosed before the battle begins.]

[Mia's lineup average level: Lv13.4]

[Wa Nation challenge squad average level: Lv15]

[Paradise Lost System confirms again: Do you accept the challenge??!! (Remaining time: 5:59:0)]

Mia and Luo Xiaoya, who were selling flowers at the shop, Ryan Nephalem, who was sleeping off a hangover on the bar counter, and Tuaner and Sister Loran, who had planned to go shopping for clothes together today, simultaneously received the notification from the Paradise Lost System. At first, they were shocked, then furious. This was too shameless! A squad with an average level of Lv15 challenging a squad that had just cleared a war dungeon and theoretically had an average level of Lv10, and making such a big fuss about it?

With less than six hours left to accept the duel, Mia hung up the cute wooden sign she had prepared in advance that read, "The shopkeeper has business, please come back tomorrow." She gently persuaded the boys who insisted on buying flowers for confessions today to leave, then closed the shop...

In the basement of the "Sweet Dream Flower Shop," the red bloodshot veins in the eyes of the alcohol-smelling Ryan Nephalem were about to cover his irises. He shook the authentic naturalization certificate that He Xuan had just pulled strings to get for him, and slammed it onto the marble table. "I'm going first! Don't fight me for it. There has to be a greeting gift, right?"

Mia sighed helplessly. She didn't stop him and looked at Tuaner. Tuaner chuckled, "I can handle both ranged and melee. Now that I have [Golden Light Spell], [Five Treasures Protection: Tumulary Flow], and [Xu Step], I'm feeling pretty confident. I don't think I'll be unable to hold out through a deathmatch. If I really can't take it, I have a backup plan. After all, Elizabeth Bathory isn't a pushover."

Sister Loran glanced at Luo Xiaoya. Her composure was different from that of the few hot-headed youths under thirty. "I have absolutely no problem. As for Luo Xiaoya, should we have her go first to concede? Or put her last?"

"If your daughter manages to get on the field, will she concede? She'll only launch a destructive charge, trying to take the enemy down with her, right?" Ryan Nephalem patted Sister Loran on the shoulder. "Let her concede at the start; it can also paralyze the enemy. We aren't afraid of being scolded, because being scolded is better than being beaten!! When the time comes, we'll slaughter everyone on the other side. I was holding back a belly full of fire in [under one person], so it's perfect to let them know the anger of a kidney-less werewolf!! In other words, in the unlikely event that we don't beat these calculating, opportunistic bastards, there'll at least be someone to burn paper money for us, right?"

"Then it's passed unanimously. Luo Xiaoya goes first because she's not a combatant, so she'll concede at the start! Leave the fighting to us!" Mia looked earnestly at the slightly stubborn Lv4 Luo Xiaoya (who had gained a level in the war dungeon). "Passion is not recklessness, Luo Xiaoya. I hope you can understand that."

[Paradise Lost System confirmation received! Mia's squad accepts the challenge!! (Battle preparation starting, remaining time: 5:59:0)]

Mia's singing drifted through the comfortably decorated basement; it was the ringtone for Tuaner's phone.

"Hey!! Are you guys crazy? The opponents are an old Lv1 squad, at least 3–5 levels higher than you!" He Xuan's roar came through the receiver. "Also, why did Mia turn off her phone?!! Whatever supplies and equipment you need, have that idiot Ryan Nephalem go to the Coordination Office to pick them up immediately. The entire third basement level is open to you. Go take them, don't actually die in the arena!!"

"Hey?!! You iron rooster, why are you so generous all of a sudden? Aren't you afraid that if we die, no one will pay you back for the equipment?" Ryan Nephalem snatched the phone and began a barrage of output at He Xuan.

"Pfft! You bastard, you just got naturalized and already want to sacrifice yourself for the country?? Dream on!! Get over here quickly. If you win, our district's Coordination Office will benefit too." After saying that, He Xuan hung up the phone.

As soon as Ryan Nephalem stepped out of the flower shop, he saw the motorcycle girl waiting for him—He Xi. He got on the motorcycle, and they sped off toward the Coordination Office...