CHAPTER 177 - BANQUET INVITATION

Han Wu had the Gold identity plate, which limited him to entering only the Platinum training sites at most. Instead of rushing in blindly, he first visited the Adventurer Guild of Myriad City to gather detailed information about the monsters dwelling in those areas.

After collecting the intel, he stocked up on plenty of food before setting out to explore each training site. His goal was not to raise his rank but to acquire more Diamond titles. He had developed a strategy to fully exploit these titles by focusing on slaying specific monster species, even if they were considered weak.

He could merge these weaker Diamond titles into his Genocider title and use the Diamond Monster Ender title to seal away the monsters’ souls or materials. This approach allowed him to increase his power significantly.

On top of that, he wielded an advantage others lacked—the Diamond Labyrinth Crusher. With it, he could summon the terracotta army and the twelve golden giants. Facing the Platinum monsters became simple with such overwhelming support, which also boosted his efficiency dramatically.

In just a month and a half, he cleared all thirty Platinum training sites around Myriad City, earning seventy-two distinct Diamond titles linked to different monster species. He merged every one of them into the Genocider title and enhanced its most powerful effect, the Genocider Weapon, to a terrifying new level.

[Effect: Genocider Weapon. Can transform into any weapon form. Inflicts 200% critical damage, 20% spiritual damage, 40% light damage, 60% poison damage, 30% ice damage, 40% fire damage, 30% lightning damage, 20% darkness damage, and 30% holy damage. Additionally, it has a 10% chance to inflict Stun, a 20% chance to inflict Break, and a 30% chance to inflict Bleed.]

The Genocider title’s second effect, Genocider Afterimage, remained unchanged, adding an extra 50% damage. These two effects worked together seamlessly, granting him overwhelming power. He even felt confident he could defeat a Diamond monster without transforming the weapon at all.

Han Wu’s remarkable performance had drawn the attention of all four major factions in Myriad City. Clearing all thirty Platinum training sites in just six weeks was no small feat. Even large adventurer groups struggled to accomplish that much in such a short time. While many admired his strength, just as many were impressed by how quickly he was amassing wealth.

Every monster he killed dropped valuable materials. Han Wu had slain so many that people stopped keeping track. Whenever he returned to sell his haul, merchants bowed as if he were a revered elder, grateful for the fortune he brought them.

Any faction that recruited Han Wu would gain a guaranteed source of profit. All four factions, along with several prominent adventurer groups, recognized this and wasted no time sending him invitations. However, Han Wu ignored them all. He preferred to work alone and saw no benefit in joining a group that would likely slow him down.

As usual, he returned to his hotel one day to find numerous invitations wedged into the doorframe. He opened them one by one, discarding any that invited him to a meal. He wasn’t interested. Some invited him to join expeditions to hunt Diamond monsters. He set those aside, planning to follow up later and ask for more information. Others proposed various activities, most of which he ignored.

After sorting through the pile, only four invitations remained on the table. Three came from Myriad City’s largest factions, while the fourth came from the city’s biggest adventurer group. All shared the same purpose: to recruit him to their faction and have him represent them in an upcoming contest. The winner would gain the authority to allocate Myriad City’s resources for the next five years, and every invitation promised numerous resources to persuade him.

Han Wu read through them and selected the most lavish invitation. It came from one of the four largest factions, the Merchant Alliance. Being the richest of the four, they offered the highest rewards. They promised him two Diamond Title Scrolls and up to 100 Diamond materials. Their offer was a clear attempt to fill his pockets with wealth. Han Wu felt it would be inappropriate to refuse.

Two days later, he arrived at the Merchant Alliance headquarters with the invitation in hand. The alliance’s leaders had heard of his arrival and welcomed the news with excitement. Han Wu’s choice gave them renewed confidence for this year’s contest. Upon entering, he saw five other strong adventurers seated nearby. They had also been invited by the Merchant Alliance and all wore Platinum identification plates on their waists.

Han Wu stood out with his Gold identification plate, which made him appear weaker in comparison. The banquet started as the leader of the Merchant Alliance rose to deliver a speech. Through it, Han Wu learned more about the factions that shaped Myriad City.

The four most powerful factions in Myriad City were the Adventurer Guild, known for its unmatched strength; the Imperial Knights under the control of the royal family; the Shadow Alliance with the widest information network; and the Merchant Alliance, the richest of them all.

Although the Merchant Alliance had the most resources, it was considered the weakest in terms of combat strength. Over the years, it had suffered repeated losses at the hands of the other three factions.

Beyond these dominant powers, Myriad City was also home to more than ten large-scale adventurer groups, each led by a Diamond adventurer. Collectively, their strength rivaled that of the four major factions and could not be dismissed.

The contest mentioned in the invitation traced back to an ancient law that had stood for hundreds of years. Every five years, the factions competed to determine the distribution of the city's resources.

Since the contest’s inception, the Merchant Alliance had never once emerged victorious. In fact, they had nearly been pushed out of the top four by one of the larger adventurer groups the last contest.

That was why they had gone all out this time, sending numerous invitations that promised heavy rewards to lone experts willing to represent them. Winning was their only chance to secure their place among the city’s top four factions. Despite these efforts, only six adventurers, including Han Wu, accepted the call. Many experts seemed to have little faith in the Merchant Alliance’s chances this time.

As the leader gave a passionate speech on stage, Han Wu glanced around nervously. Officially, Han Wu held the rank of Gold adventurer, but in truth, his strength surpassed even Diamond. Still, the others around him were all Platinum adventurers, and he doubted they would stand a chance if the opposing factions fielded Diamond representatives.

At the same time, the other five doubted Han Wu’s ability, especially after noticing his Gold identification plate. The Platinum adventurers looked down on him.

The Merchant Alliance’s leader wrapped up his speech and stepped aside, giving the adventurers a chance to introduce themselves.

“My name is Saurman, a Platinum-ranked adventurer. You may call me the Desert King.”

Once he finished speaking, the scantily clad woman beside him stepped forward with a coy smile. Her voice dripped with charm as she introduced herself. “I’m not as strong as Saurman, but please call me Lady Mei. If you ever need help with that, I’d be more than happy to assist.”

She punctuated her offer by licking her lips in a slow, suggestive motion. Some of the higher-ups in the Merchant Alliance found her charms hard to resist, and their little brother nearly stood at attention. Still, everyone knew her true identity and dared not make a move. Her Widowmaker nickname was no exaggeration.

Next came a powerful-looking Platinum adventurer. His tone was sharp, dripping with disdain as he glanced at Han Wu. “I am Xiong Zhan. I can become a Bugbear strong enough to shatter the earth itself. I hope my teammates match my strength. If they drag me down, I won’t hesitate to crush their skull.”

His gaze locked on Han Wu made it clear who he meant. After him, a handsome young man barely twenty years old stepped forward. The platinum identity plate on his waist marked him as a prodigy. “I am Xue Feng. I specialize in magic, and my friends call me the Wind Knight.”

The higher-ups of the Merchant Alliance murmured in admiration. They had heard his name before but never expected someone so young to carry such a reputation.

Finally, a young woman with soft baby fat still rounding her cheeks appeared. She looked younger than Xue Feng and trembled slightly as she introduced herself. Her inexperience showed clearly. “I am Alice. I am a support who can heal everyone’s wounds.”

The previous four adventurers all regarded her with warm, approving eyes. She was not only meek and adorable but also a vital backliner who could heal them. At critical moments, she could save their lives, so they had to respect her.

Finally, it was Han Wu’s turn. He stood and said, “I am Han Wu. I’m here for the money. As long as you pay me well, I’ll handle any enemy, no matter how strong they might be.”

Xiong Zhan let out a mocking laugh at the bold declaration. He eyed Han Wu as if he were just another Gold adventurer talking far too big for his boots. Han Wu didn’t spare him a glance. As long as Xiong Zhan didn’t get in the way of his earnings, he wouldn’t bother with him.

Still, Xiong Zhan’s displeasure grew at what he saw as Han Wu’s insolence.

“You lowly Gold adventurer,” he spat. “Are you upset? Do you actually think you’re qualified to sit at the same table as us?”

Han Wu scoffed and refused to respond. This only made Xiong Zhan angrier.

He stood and shouted, “You little bastard! Clearly, your bones need breaking. I’ll teach you how to show respect to those stronger than you!”

Without hesitation, Xiong Zhan lunged from his seat and threw a punch at Han Wu. The higher-ups of the Merchant Alliance watched without intervening, eager to enjoy the show. It didn’t matter to them who lived or died. What they wanted to see was strength. Only the strong deserved the rewards, while the weak deserved to die.