Chapter 35 Arrogance Turned to Politeness (Part 3)

As Eric gazed at Isabella's confident smile, he was already secretly chuckling to himself.

One should acquire wealth from the wealthy. If they wanted to make money, they naturally have to earn it from the wealthy, and the top-tier guild, Devouring Serpents, was undoubtedly a very good choice.

From the information Eric knew, the guild, Devouring Serpents, had conquered over a dozen virtual games. However, the emergence of Divine Realms: Legends caused a sensation in the virtual gaming world, hailed as the second world of humanity, leading to the collapse of other virtual games. Subsequently, countless large corporations crazily entered Divine Realms: Legends to establish their own guilds and build their own forces.

 They wanted to establish their status in virtual finance, and naturally, Devouring Serpents also entered Divine Realms: Legends to get a share of the pie from numerous financial giants.

Moreover, Devouring Serpents not only had funds but also a strong background, with over a thousand top gamers under its command. These thousand elite players were so renowned in Divine Realms: Legends that they were called the God-Slaying Army. It was because of these thousand elite players that Devouring Serpents established a considerable virtual empire, ruling over more than eighty cities with populations exceeding a million in Divine Realms: Legends, making it the true overlord of the game. At its peak, the territory of Devouring Serpents was equivalent to the size of the entire Eldoria. while ShadowForge Studios had only established ten cities with populations of less than a million at its peak. Even so, ShadowForge Studios' status in reality was already colossal, and the status of Devouring Serpents was unimaginable.

It was important to know that Eldoria was not small among the hundreds of kingdoms in Divine Realms: Legends; it could be considered above average. This demonstrated how formidable Devouring Serpents truly was.

With such a powerful and wealthy guild, how could Eric not want to cooperate with it? However, the risk of working with Isabella was too high. She had a lot of intelligence on Divine Realms: Legends, given her unusual status, so Eric had to be cautious. That was why he deliberately showed some flaws, especially the formula for the Basic Strength Potion. Eric wanted to observe Isabella's reaction. If he noticed any negative changes in her, he would certainly distance himself from her.

However, the current situation was undoubtedly what Eric had hoped for.

"Since you said so, the price is not high, twenty silver coins," Eric said calmly.

Now, twenty silver coins were already the entire assets for a small guild, a significant blow for an ordinary guild. Even a hundred-person gold farming team would need two to three days to save up that amount, while a single run of a regular Silent Grove Dungeon would only yield one or two silver coins. However, Eric felt this price was reasonable. The Silent Grove Dungeon was very special; as long as this dungeon could be cleared, it would lay a solid foundation for future endeavors.

Hearing Eric casually ask for twenty silver coins, Scarlet took a sharp breath, almost jumping up in anger. She glared at Eric and said angrily, "Why don't you go snatch some silver coins? That way, you'll obtain them faster."

"If I could earn that much coins by snatching, I would do it, too." he replied." Eric replied and laughed. "You have to understand, this is the Silent Grove Dungeon. There are plenty of skill books inside to arm players and quickly enhance their strength. If someone can clear the Silent Grove Dungeon early, it would be invaluable for future development." "Can't you make it cheaper? This is twenty silver coins. Even for us, Devouring Serpents, it's impossible to come up with much money at once," Scarlet said, thoroughly annoyed with Eric. But thinking about the importance of the Silent Grove Dungeon, she softened her tone.

"Sorry, I don't accept haggling. If you don't agree, I'll have to consider cooperating with other guilds," Eric insisted. He had already shown great sincerity to Isabella. If she didn't agree, he would consider the Assassin Alliance, which was also wealthy and had previously spent over twenty silver coins to buy a level 5 bronze shield.

"I understand; it's okay for twenty silver coins. But we need time to gather the funds. After all, the Devouring Serpents' sphere of influence is not near Silvervale City but in the capital, Eldoria City. There aren't many Devouring Serpents members near Silvervale City. Give me a day. Here are seven silver coins as a deposit, and we'll give you fifteen silver coins as compensation in a day," Isabella said. She hadn't expected Eric to ask for such a high price, but clearing the Silent Grove Dungeon was too important and needed to be done as soon as possible. She also knew that silver coins were more valuable in the early stages, so she offered some additional interest.

"Alright, here's the map of the Silent Grove Dungeon forest and the key points for defeating the boss."

Eric knew Isabella was telling the truth. It wasn't easy for her to come up with twenty silver coins at once, unlike the Assassin Alliance, which had a considerable presence in Silvervale City and much more abundant funds. He then sent an email to her with detailed information about the Silent Grove Dungeon. Given Isabella and her team's strength, they should have no trouble clearing the Common Level.

Receiving the Silent Grove Dungeon strategy guide, Isabella glanced at it and was secretly amazed.

She hadn't expected the Silent Grove Dungeon to be so formidable. There were thirty-six paths in the forest, thirty-three of which were dead ends, and a Night Ranger lurking in wait. The guide also provided detailed descriptions of the Boss's moves and timing, making the twenty silver coins well worth it. If they had to explore and strategize bit by bit, the cost would be more than twenty silver coins.

Isabella's opinion of Eric changed again. She felt that Eric was extraordinary, definitely a top player. Only a top player could have such a deep understanding of the dungeon. However, in her memory, there appeared to be no top player like Eric who was also a Swordsman.

"Three days from now, the Devouring Serpents plan to raid the first twenty-person team dungeon at level five, Shadowmoon Graveyard. Are you interested in joining it?" Isabella looked at Eric with her beautiful eyes and invited him to the team dungeon. She had already recognized his strength, and having him in the team dungeon might make things easier.

Tonny, standing nearby, was wide-eyed with admiration for Eric. He hadn't expected Eric to be so impressive, not only dealing with Isabella but also making her want to invite him to the dungeon. It was a great honor; countless men dreamed of raiding dungeons with Isabella. However, Scarlet was not pleased when she heard this. She thought, 'Eric was just a beta tester who had experienced Divine Realms: Legends for a few more days and was more familiar with the Silent Grove Dungeon. However, the twenty-person team dungeon only appeared in the open beta, not in the closed beta, so he couldn't possibly know anything about it. Moreover, Eric wasn't a particularly skilled player, so inviting him was just wasting a spot.'

Eric thought for a moment. The twenty-person team dungeon dropped a lot of good items, especially for Swordsmen. The dungeon gear's attributes were definitely better than those from Wilderness Bosses. However, he couldn't organize twenty team members, so going with Isabella wouldn't be bad.

"Alright, but you need to save me a few spots, and all Swordsman gear and forging blueprints must be prioritized for me," Eric agreed.

"Can't you be a little more modest?" Scarlet pouted at Eric, feeling he was too much. When Isabella invited others, they would agree without a second thought, even without asking for gear. But Eric not only agreed but also demanded priority on gear, showing no courtesy at all.

Isabella didn't expect Eric to be so different from others. He was straightforward and said what he thought, which was interesting. She then looked at his team members.

 Although their operations were a bit immature, their gear was decent, and they could barely manage a twenty-person dungeon. So she said, "Alright, let's add each other as friends so we can contact each other when the time comes."

"Okay, just contact me a few hours before the dungeon, and I'll be there on time." Eric accepted Isabella's friend request.

Then Eric and his team left the small stone pond and headed towards Darkmoon Valley. As they passed by the Silent Grove Dungeon, Thornheart from the Assassin Alliance suddenly called out to Eric.

"Kai Blackthorn, I almost didn't recognize you. I never expected you to be acquainted with someone as influential as the Ice Goddess. Don't forget about me in the future," Thornheart walked up and joked.

"How could I? Ms. Collins and I just met by chance," Eric smiled.

"Kai Blackthorn, you're too modest. With your skills, you're definitely qualified to be friends with the Ice Goddess. After all, you're both top players." Thornheart believed Eric was being humble, showing the demeanor of a top player. He wanted to build a good relationship with Eric. "The Assassin Alliance is preparing to raid the Silent Grove Dungeon. Are you interested in that? Of course, you can choose any gear you want."

"You're too kind, Thornheart, but I have other matters to attend to. I'll definitely join you if I have the chance in the future," Eric politely declined.

Thornheart spoke loudly, and the surrounding players heard him clearly.

They thought Eric was just a newbie player who was lucky enough to be noticed by Isabella. But now, even Thornheart, who was from the Assassin Alliance, wanted to befriend Eric. What was going on?

The Assassin Alliance was a prominent guild near Silvervale City, and Thornheart was the deputy leader of the elite team. Such a big figure wouldn't normally interact with ordinary players, but Thornheart wanted to befriend Eric, and Eric declined. That was impressive.

No one would believe Eric was a newbie. There was definitely more to this.

People speculated that Eric must be a hidden expert, unknown to ordinary players.

 Otherwise, why would every big shot want to meet him?

"Skyweave, Thornheart wants to befriend that newbie player. Am I dreaming?" Silent Summer Night was stunned. Was this Eric really the same newbie player they had seen? Skyweaver waved his hand, feeling very uncomfortable. He had still harbored some hope, but now it was completely shattered by Thornheart. Eric wasn't a newbie; he was definitely an expert, just as Ezio had said. In fact, he might be even more impressive than Ezio had described. Following Eric would undoubtedly lead to a bright future in Divine Realms: Legends, but they had driven him away and missed the chance to befriend a top player. "Skyweaver, how about we go apologize? Experts value their reputation. Perhaps Eric will forgive us, and then we'll gain a powerful ally." Last Stand Warrior suggested.

Silent Summer Night nodded in agreement.

As Eric's team headed towards the exit, Skyweaver and his group ran over.

"Master, we had some misunderstandings before, so we apologize to you and hope you can forgive our ignorance. This silver coin is a token of our sincerity. We hope you can accept it," Skyweaver said with a flattering smile, completely losing his previous arrogance.

Silent Summer Night and Last Stand Warrior also kept apologizing sincerely, hoping to join Eric in monster hunting.

"If you have nothing else, please leave. I have things to do and no time to waste," Eric said, turning away. He didn't care about Skyweaver and his group's behavior and had no intention of taking them along.

Ezio just watched Skyweaver and his group and shook his head. If they had known this would happen, why did they act that way before?

Seeing Ezio leave with Eric, Silent Summer Night pouted and said sourly, "What's so great about him? I'll become an expert, too."

Only Skyweaver knew that Ezio was destined for great success in the future, no longer belonging to the same world as them., no longer part of their world.