Su Han was certain they wouldn’t act—they hadn’t even devised countermeasures against her, a third-ranked Upper Apostle.

And Lin Zhong? To them, he was merely an Apostle candidate. Until yesterday, Su Han had been the only Apostle without factional backing, yet no organization had moved against her.

Why? Eliminating a single Apostle drained resources enough to cripple their own growth.

Who’d truly benefit from taking out Su Han?

Even if a faction could defeat an Upper Apostle like her—which was doubtful—victory would be pyrrhic. Their weakened state would invite hungry mid-to-high-rankers circling like vultures.

Who’d gain? The idle Apostles and scheming elites watching from the shadows. The attacker would be the biggest loser.

Would rival Apostles honestly pool resources for a joint strike?

No! Absolutely not!

They weren’t allies—they were sworn enemies. Deception was child’s play to them. Cooperation? You’d be lucky not to get knifed in the back.

If even one Apostle candidate wasn’t worth such reckless expenditure, how much less three full Apostles?

This cake wasn’t so easily devoured.

“They won’t unite against us. Right now, they don’t know we have three Apostles here. If they find out, they’ll retreat even faster.”

Su Han’s expression turned dead serious, stripped of her usual levity. She’d spent a year avoiding this exact scenario—but now, choices had run out.

“So our priority is boosting our strength and expanding the Club’s influence?”

Aester diligently noted Su Han’s words. Truthfully, even she couldn’t guarantee absolute safety. The Club had long slipped beyond the Student Council’s control.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhong remained sprawled on the sofa like a lazybones. Charlotte looked utterly lost, while Sebastian’s face twitched in confusion.

Charlotte had zero exposure to high-stakes politics. Sebastian was baffled too—he’d just joined a school Club; when did it become Apostle business?

Lin Zhong grasped bits of the discussion, but he trusted Su Han implicitly. She’d handle it better than he ever could.

Though ranked above both Apostles and the Four Generals as one of the Dual Emperors, Lin Zhong owed his status solely to steamrolling Dungeon Instances solo. His understanding of power structures barely surpassed Charlotte’s—he only caught fragments because Su Han had briefed him. He was here to lie low, not mingle with elites.

“The real danger falls on you three…”

Su Han meant Aester, Charlotte, and Sebastian. Aester, though an Apostle, was purely support—her combat skills were the weakest among Apostles. Charlotte was just a rookie worth a measly 100,000 credits. Only Sebastian could hold his own against non-Apostle threats.

Aester nodded. She knew her limits: any Apostle could crush her one-on-one. Even top-tier bounty hunters outside the Apostle tier could defeat her.

“But we can’t stick together 24/7, right?”

Aester frowned. Charlotte was the most vulnerable—he was weak *and* the Club’s leader. Taking him down meant dismantling the whole Club, and he was the easiest target.

“Swallow these.”

Lin Zhong held out three delicate ice crystals. Swallow them?

Sebastian gulped his down immediately. Charlotte and Aester hesitated—not from distrust, but the crystals’ razor-sharp glint suggested throat-slitting danger.

“No side effects,” Sebastian reported flatly. The ice held no power-boosting properties.

“What about this?”

Lin Zhong grabbed a plate and hurled it at Sebastian.

“Stop!”

“No!”

Charlotte and Aester cried out. Why would he do that? That plate would smash his face!

Sebastian froze but didn’t dodge.

The plate flew closer—then, inches from his face, frost bloomed across its surface. It shattered into glittering dust, leaving only a chill kiss on Sebastian’s skin.

“These crystals add an invisible armor. They activate instantly when you’re in mortal danger.”

Lin Zhong placed another crystal in Su Han’s palm. Unlike the others, she swallowed it without hesitation.

“Incredible…” Charlotte whispered, awed by the lifeline in his hand.

“But don’t get reckless,” Lin Zhong warned. “This won’t stop high-tier opponents. Against an Apostle? Maybe it’ll buy a second. Don’t test it.”

“Naturally.” Aester smiled and swallowed hers. Surviving one Apostle strike was god-tier protection—she wasn’t stupid enough to abuse it.

“Next step: level up these two and build our team.”

“But aren’t we already—” Charlotte started.

Lin Zhong wagged a finger. “Su Han, Aester, and I are Ability Division. Su Han and I are DPS; Aester’s support. You and Sebastian are Martial Arts Division.”

“Sebastian’s capable. But Charlotte? You can’t fight yet. So we’ve got two Ability DPS, one Martial Artist, and one support. What’s missing?”

Lin Zhong leaned back on the sofa. Understanding dawned on Aester and Sebastian’s faces.

“A glass cannon,” Lin Zhong said. “Plainly put—we need a mage.”