Chapter 148: Revisiting the Starting Town

A flash of white light suddenly erupted at the teleportation gate in Starting Town, and then several figures appeared in the open space.

Asuna held Yui's hand and asked the two women beside her with some curiosity: "Um, why did you two follow us here too?"

Luo Yexi spread her hands: "Just because there's nothing to do today, so we followed along to take a look! Besides, we haven't been here for a long time, so you could say we're revisiting an old haunt!"

"Mhm." Busujima Saeko, who was to the side, also nodded.

"Papa, the mommies are all so strange!" Yui tugged on Lingyun's sleeve.

"Well, this will get better after a while!" Lingyun said with a smile.

As for why Yui called the other girls "mommy" as well, that involved what happened in the morning when Lingyun went to cook. After experiencing a series of "clashing swords and fierce battles," the women decided to let Yui be their shared daughter, which led to the strange way of addressing them just now.

"Hey, Yui, is there anything here that looks familiar to you?" Asuna asked.

"No." Yui looked around and then shook her head.

"There's no helping that, after all, this place is just too big!" Asuna said with a smile. "How about we go find that player Argo mentioned who takes in a lot of children first?"

"Mhm, let's go!"

Just as Lingyun and the others were walking on the road, a burst of arguing and the screams of children suddenly came from not far away.

"Hm?" Lingyun's brow furrowed sharply; he hoisted Yui onto his back and sprinted toward that direction.

Asuna and the other two exchanged glances and then followed after him.

The group was very fast and soon turned into a small alley. There, they saw a group of people wearing uniform outfits extorting a group of children, claiming it was for the sake of clearing this game. Standing in front of the children was a woman wearing a nun's habit.

"Has the Army, once part of the Clearers, already become a gathering place for a bunch of trash and vermin?" Just as the woman drew a short sword, preparing to fight the people from the Army, a leisurely voice drifted over.

"Who are you, daring to speak ill of our Army?" the leader of the Army said loudly.

"Who am I? Someone to clean you up!" Answering him was another angry shout. A figure appeared before the Army members like lightning, throwing both fists out and knocking them all flying.

"So, so fast!" The nun couldn't help but open her mouth wide as she watched the newcomer's movements.

"You, who are you people, daring to interfere with the Army's mission?" The leader climbed up from the ground and roared loudly.

"Looks like you still haven't learned your lesson!" Luo Yexi dropped down from mid-air, grabbed that man, and then tossed him away, letting him experience what it meant to be a human kite. However, this was only the beginning; Luo Yexi flashed to the direction where the man was falling and threw him toward the sky again before he could land. This was repeated several times until the man begged for mercy loudly, at which point she finally let him go.

After the man crashed heavily onto the ground, he struggled to stand up, looking at Luo Yexi and Luo Yexi in front of them with a face full of terror.

"What, still want to try being a human kite?" Luo Yexi revealed a malicious smile at the man.

"Run!" Seeing Luo Yexi's expression, the man's face changed drastically; he turned around and ran for his life.

Seeing their boss running away, the other Army members didn't dare stay there either; they followed behind him and quickly disappeared at the alley entrance.

"Are you all okay?" Asuna walked up to the group of children and asked softly.

"Mhm, we're fine!" One of the little boys shook his head vigorously, then looked at Luo Yexi with excitement, "That big sister just now was really amazing, taking down that group of guys so easily!"

"It's nothing, they were just too weak!" Luo Yexi smiled and waved her hand.

"Regardless, I must thank you all for helping me and these children this time!" the woman stepped forward and said.

"It's nothing, just a small favor!" Asuna waved her hand. "However, we do have one thing we'd like to ask for your help with. In Starting Town, have you ever seen this child?"

"This?" The woman looked at Yui, who was being carried by Lingyun, and shook her head slightly, "No. Although I have been in Starting Town helping children in need, I have never seen such a cute little girl."

"Is that so?" Asuna's brow furrowed slightly.

"How about this, let's go back to where I live first. There are quite a few people there like me; they might be able to provide you with some information!" the woman suggested.

"Mhm, that works too!" Lingyun nodded slightly.

It was just a pity that once they arrived at the place where the children were taken in, after visiting several players who shared the same ideals as the nun, Asuna still hadn't obtained any useful information. She couldn't help but feel a bit discouraged, but at the same time, there was a trace of secret joy in her heart.

Just as Asuna and Lingyun were discussing what to do next, Yulier, who was an executive of the Army, appeared at this time. She told Lingyun and the others about the changes that had occurred in the Army over this period and begged Lingyun and his group to help her rescue the Army's leader, Thinker, promising that after rescuing the president, she would reform the Army so that the oppression of ordinary players would no longer occur.

"Yazi, that name sounds a bit familiar!" Busujima Saeko said.

"How could it not be familiar? Saeko, have you forgotten? That guy was the one who was scared into collapsing on the ground by Lingyun at the first strategy meeting. To think he actually joined the Army and caused so much trouble within it!" Lingyun let out a soft chuckle.

"Scared Yazi into collapsing on the ground?" Hearing this, Yulier looked at Lingyun's somewhat familiar face and suddenly spoke, "Could it be that you are from the God Squad, and this is the one known as the strongest player, Phantom Sword Lingyun?"

"I am Lingyun, that's correct, but the title of strongest player is still a bit of an exaggeration for me. I really can't count as the true strongest player!" Lingyun smiled and waved his hand.

"Then, I wonder if you all could accept my commission to assist me in rescuing our Army's leader?" Yulier asked softly.

"No problem, we also want to see what kind of powerful Labyrinth Area there is in this Starting Town that could trap the leader of the Army!" Lingyun said with a smile.

"Then thank you all. I will go back and prepare first, and then we will meet in front of the Labyrinth Area!" Yulier stood up, bowed to Lingyun and the others, and then quickly left the place.

"Yui, why did you want me to go to that place?" In the Labyrinth Area, Lingyun asked Yui on his back in a low voice.

"Because after arriving here, Yui discovered that there is a presence on this floor that I really dislike. That presence is extremely powerful and is entrenched in Starting Town, as if it were prepared for something," Yui said softly.

"Is that so?" Lingyun narrowed his eyes. He had seen it; the monsters appearing here were basically powerful monsters that should only appear on the 60th floor. If any accident happened here and the monsters rushed out, it was not something the players on this floor could withstand. "Attacking from both sides? Truly a good strategy!"

"Master!" Luo Yexi looked toward Lingyun; she had already sensed the power of the Underworld King of the End entrenched deep within the labyrinth.

"The monsters are coming, get ready to fight!" Lingyun said.