Inside the Goblin Mercantile Guild,
Tang Jihede and her companions were discussing the purchase of goblin robots with a goblin merchant.
"My dear human friends, you wish to procure goblin robots, correct?"
After explaining their purpose, the attendant summoned the guild manager.
"Yes, approximately fifty units."
"Fifty units..."
The goblin manager paused thoughtfully. Lately, most newcomers from other worlds only sought favors with the Goblin Mercantile Guild—actual buyers were rare.
Ordering fifty goblin robots signaled serious intent. The buyer had to be a lord, and their territory undoubtedly sizable.
"No problem. But first, please fill out this form. We’ll deliver all fifty units to your location..."
"Alright. What about payment?"
"Each goblin robot costs 50,000 gold coins. For fifty units, we offer a 90% discount—totaling 2.25 million. A 1 million deposit is required upfront; the remaining 1.25 million upon delivery."
"..."
Tang Jihede froze for a moment. Qin Yu had given her exactly 1 million. Had he planned this all along?
She paid the deposit, completed the form, and prepared to leave with her group.
Just outside the guild, a voice called out.
"Well, well! If it isn’t little sister Sugar Tang?"
At the sound, both Tang Jihede and Old Vinegar let out an annoyed *tsk*. *Here comes that relentless pest.*
Turning, they saw a blue-haired player decked in rare gear, grinning as he and his crew approached.
Old Vinegar ducked behind Tang Jihede, glaring at him with clear hostility.
"Oh, Kuang Lan. Didn’t expect to run into you here," Tang Jihede said politely—though she loathed him.
"What a coincidence! We bumped into each other on the street just recently, and now again in-game. Feels like fate, doesn’t it, Vinegar~?"
Kuang Lan’s gaze slid to Old Vinegar. Tang Jihede’s eyes sharpened. "Kuang Lan, if you keep harassing Vinegar, I’ll report you for stalking girls like a creep."
"Don’t be so harsh! Stalking? We’re all friends!"
Unwilling to linger, Tang Jihede’s group exchanged brief words and left, leaving Kuang Lan and his crew behind.
"Guild Master, they just ordered goblin robots from the guild," a guildmate reported.
"Goblin robots? Do they have a territory too?"
Establishing a territory required a Territory Core. Wild ones were unheard of, so they’d paid heavily to partner with the Pantheon Realms for a pre-built plot—excellent value. Their Annihilation Guild now ranked top 300 on the power leaderboard.
Top 300 might seem modest, but realistically, it was impressive. Top 100 were state-backed; top 200 backed by major capital. Excluding those giants, Annihilation Guild stood among the strongest player-run guilds.
"Find their territory location. I’ll pay them a proper visit with my army someday."
"Yes, sir!"
After shaking off Kuang Lan, Old Vinegar sighed in relief.
"Finally, that annoying guy’s gone," she grumbled.
"Relax, Vinegar. If he bothers you again, I’ll handle him," Tang Jihede comforted.
"Easier said than done. He won’t give up."
Old Vinegar had been genuinely stressed by his stalking. Never met a guy with so little self-awareness—the more she ignored him, the bolder he got.
"Not necessarily. Didn’t he quit chasing Tangtang before?" Bingtang Xueli chimed in.
"Only because Tangtang gave him zero chance—thrashed and roasted him live on the tournament stage," Candied Hawthorn added. Overseas spectators had been utterly awed.
"Can’t blame him too much. Since Vinegar avoids men, he probably thinks her silence means shyness," Bingtang Xueli mused.
Done venting, they returned to their territory to report.
—
Near the Bandit Fort
Patrolling minions had already been cleared by Qin Yu’s group. Now, they needed to infiltrate silently.
But the kids lacked stealth training. Someone strong had to breach the gate, stir chaos inside, then let the kids follow up.
Honestly, only Qin Yu could do it. Shikari excelled at frontal assaults—mowing down hundreds alone. Luna? Even Hong outclassed her in combat.
Qin Yu’s EXP: 88/100. Twelve more points to Tier 2.
Think leveling’s easy? Dead wrong. Tier 1→2: 100 points. Tier 2→3: 1,000. Tier N requires 10^N points (N=1 to 10).
Average players grinding solo max out at Tier 5. Beyond that? Inhuman—100,000+ points. Where’s the monster supply?
"Fate Paradise" has almost no quest system. Any quests reward items or skills—not EXP.
Silver lining: past Tier 3, life skills grant EXP—mining, farming, chopping wood, opening chests, or crafting potions and puppets like Qin Yu.
Still, yields are far lower than combat. One word: stingy.
"Luna, watch everyone. I’ll infiltrate."
"Huh? You’re only Tier 1. Seriously?"
Luna doubted him. He could barely scratch Tier 4 enemies; Tier 5+ meant run or die.
"Relax. If things go south, I’ll summon you. Once chaos erupts and I open the gate, you and Shikari hold the line. Let the kids deal damage and grab the EXP."
"Fine, fine."
Luna had grown more compliant lately—making the best of it. Under Qin Yu, aside from light teasing and chores, she ate well and lived freely. Far better than being trapped in the Blood Moon.
Boosted by his title and Shadow Step, Qin Yu closed in on the fort wall in a flash, scaling it effortlessly. Luna blinked in surprise. *Huh… this human actually has some skills.*
