"It's fine if you can't say it, just be straightforward. We're brothers, no need for all the secrecy."
Madman gave a wicked grin and took the opportunity to throw in a jab. Orson couldn't help but roll his eyes. With Bradley and Madman around, there was no way to stay serious for long.
The whole group burst into laughter at Orson's irritated expression.
After some introductions and casual chatting, the last member, Nightshade, arrived.
"Wow… nice to meet you all!" Nightshade, dressed in a geeky university outfit, adjusted his glasses and blushed slightly.
He was completely immersed in his role as the King of Goblins. If it weren't for Orson giving him a look, he would have probably started babbling excitedly again.
"Stinky King's here, move aside!"
The little priest Stewart jumped up, and both Dancing Giant Boobs and Bradley took a few steps back, as if a massive beast was approaching.
"Stinky King? Can we stop with the nicknames?"
Orson glanced at Nightshade after greeting him, clearly a little irritated by the odd behavior of the others. It was indeed a bit impolite.
"It's not their fault. I made a mess of things yesterday, so I apologize to everyone," Nightshade awkwardly explained again, giving a formal apology.
"What's going on?" Orson frowned at Bradley.
Bradley scratched the back of his head and chuckled bitterly. "He brought a whole bunch of goblins to our guild's base yesterday. The smell… it was unbearable. So, these guys started calling him the 'Stinky King'."
Orson paused, then recalled the horrific stench of goblins. It really was pretty overwhelming.
Stewart, realizing he had been rude, quickly gave a forced smile. "I've gotta admit, this is the first time I've seen a player summon so many goblins. In a way, it's even more impressive than a Beast Master."
Nightshade seriously explained, "Actually, I don't summon them; they just follow me around because I'm their leader."
Madman pulled Orson aside and lowered his voice. "I can understand why you brought Stewart here, he's good with curses and healing. Dancing Giant Boobs is great with logistics too. But bringing a newbie mage like Nightshade… Is it just because he can summon a bunch of low-level goblins?"
Orson smiled lightly. "His potential is unmatched in Infinite Dimensions. Believe me, he's a trump card."
Madman scoffed. "Are you kidding? A bunch of little goblins are nothing! A single AOE spell wipes them out, no problem!"
"You're underestimating him," Orson replied with a calm smile. "Nightshade is the key to our survival against the NPC legion. We'll need him to perform."
After clapping Madman on the shoulder, Orson added, "I don't take risks without a plan."
Bradley spoke up then. "The strategy file can be shared now."
"I've sent it to your inbox. Make sure you all take a look, and remember—keep it confidential," Bradley said, as he passed out the documents.
"What's this mysterious strategy file?" Stewart asked.
Orson and Bradley exchanged a knowing look and grinned. "It's the guide for Purple Thunder Fortress, including all the elite to abyss-level dungeon triggers, strategies, and hidden challenges. How's that for mysterious?"
"What? You've got the full strategy for all the dungeons in those cities?" Stewart gasped in disbelief. Most players hadn't even explored the Purple Thunder Fortress or Saint Maiden City yet.
Bradley smirked and said, "What can I say? It's thanks to our guild leader, who's got a bit of an edge." He winked and nudged Orson.
Madman, however, stared at Orson, his gaze intense. "Spill it. What's your connection with the officials? This level of intel doesn't just come from player exploration."
The group looked at Orson expectantly. Orson had already thought of a good response and smiled calmly.
"Don't forget that I've got a flying mount. My map speed is several times faster than yours. Plus, I received guidance from a mysterious sorceress, which allowed me to uncover some secrets of the Light Dragon Empire."
"A mysterious sorceress?"
The group exchanged puzzled looks. Madman raised an eyebrow. "The sorceress from Purple Thunder Fortress? I've heard rumors that players have gotten major hints from her, leading them to S-rank hidden class lines."
"That's right," Stewart chimed in, "I've seen her too. Players line up there every day, hoping to get a lucky break."
Orson nodded with a smile. The [Heavenly Spirit's Right Eye] upgrade task required players to seek out the sorceress at Purple Thunder Fortress, who was actually a prophet NPC, offering guidance and hidden secrets for a price.
With their doubts cleared, Orson encouraged the group to start reviewing the strategy guide.
Given the threat from the combined forces of Cain's Lord and SSR guilds, the priority was clear—boosting their strength!
The fastest way to power up in the short term was through dungeon clears, which would yield massive experience, skill points, and other stat boosts. Their goal was to clear all difficulty levels of dungeons in the two major cities within seven days, earning the first-clear rewards and unlocking hidden content.
Each of the top ten "street kings" would take their own teams to tackle up to 30 dungeons over the next week. Bradley and Madman would lead the coordination, ensuring they stayed ahead of the competition.
"What do I do with… Dancing Giant Boobs?" Nightshade asked. He had realized just how powerful players like Orson and Money Traveler were, and he felt small in comparison.
"Simple," Orson said with a grin, signaling for Dancing Giant Boobs to come over. "You two need to work together. Your combination will be unstoppable."
"Uh… how do we cooperate?" Dancing Giant Boobs seemed a little scared, imagining the goblins.
"Do you still have the S-rank life skill [Holy Gardener]?" Orson asked with a smile.
Dancing Giant Boobs nodded. "Yeah, thanks to Keke's help, I was able to deal with those Treant bosses."
"Great. How much has your planting/growth speed increased?"
"It's about ten times faster now. With a little more funding, I could increase it fiftyfold," she said, her fingers twiddling suggestively.
Orson raised an eyebrow. "Just tell me the amount, and I'll arrange it for you. We'll get it maxed out in the shortest time possible."
"Five million gold," she said, hesitant but hopeful.
Orson didn't bat an eye. "Not too much. I'll get Madman to transfer it to you."
Dancing Giant Boobs' jaw nearly hit the floor. That was a small fortune—she hadn't accumulated that much even as a small-time celebrity.
"Now, Nightshade, about the magic legion project you asked about, how much gold do you estimate we'll need?"
Nightshade quickly calculated the materials and costs. "To set up a magic-boosting device that can upgrade items, we'll need between 200,000 to 1 million gold."
Orson nodded. "Alright. Since goblins are cheap labor, I'll give you 300,000 gold to start. Make it work."
"But I don't have enough goblins… The progress might be delayed," Nightshade added, clearly worried.
"300,000 gold... that's 3 million!" Dancing Giant Boobs was practically fainting from shock. But Nightshade, unfazed, didn't care much about the gold—it was just numbers to him.
"By the way, how do we cooperate? And what about the goblin shortage?" Nightshade asked, his face still red as he glanced at Dancing Giant Boobs.
Orson smiled. "Remember, your goblins are technically a type of plant, and this lady here is a master gardener. Do you get it? You two can work together to 'plant' your goblins."
"Ah! Plant them!" Nightshade exclaimed, slapping his forehead as he realized. His hungry, eager look left Dancing Giant Boobs blushing.
After finalizing the arrangements, Orson led everyone to the gaming room.
The equipment was all set up, thanks to K.D. Only Orson's gaming pod remained unique to him. Ruby, having already planned to stay, had brought Bradley's helmet over early.
By noon, the seven of them logged in together.
As the screen flickered, Orson found himself back outside Pondenorlin City.