"Propose to her, Orgod."
Drunken Dream's sudden statement cut right through Orson's thoughts.
"Huh?" Orson blinked, staring blankly at him, his brain a tangled mess of confusion.
Drunken Dream wore a face so serious it bordered on comically severe. "She likes you. Don't let her down."
Bradley and the others burst into laughter, nearly falling over.
Bradley: "Spreading your love all over, huh? I support this wedding with all four limbs!"
Madman: "Man, I'm gonna split a gut! We're even stealing the emperor's woman now—why not just go all the way and seal the deal?"
Stewart: "Hey, I've got a VIP card for the Royal Capital's luxury inn. 30% off romantic suites—I can hook you up!"
Blank shot Orson a disgusted look and gave a frosty snort. "So this is his true nature. Grabbing a girl in the heat of the moment, completely ignoring the consequences."
"Can we not talk nonsense for once?" Orson forced a laugh. He wondered how they even knew his intimacy with Hazel was that high.
Then he looked at Hazel's status bar—right there, a bright buff: [In Love with Orgod].
His face twitched. When a player reached a certain threshold of intimacy with a female NPC, this buff would appear—meaning the chance of a successful proposal was 100%.
"I'm no good at romance. Let's… put this on hold," Orson said thick-skinned, brushing off the subject as best he could.
Hazel's face dimmed with disappointment. She bit her lip, blushing. "I need to go see my mentor… I'm worried what the Tribunal might do to him. Farewell, little adventurer… unless you come to visit me in Holy Dragon City."
"I'll come," Orson smiled gently. "As long as my friend remains in the Xian family, your clan will not fall."
Hazel paused, tears welling in her eyes. She gave her brother-in-law, Drunken Dream, a quick glance, smiled, then turned and descended from the stage—like a heartbroken bride.
Even Blank, previously fuming, softened as she watched Hazel go. But then she shot Orson a bitter glare. "You call yourself a man?"
"…Wanna check?" Orson smirked shamelessly.
Blank's face burned. Madman and the others tried to stifle their laughter, failing miserably.
"High-level NPCs aren't much different from players. And you still broke her heart like that?" Blank huffed.
Orson frowned, confused. He pointed to himself and looked to the others. "What the hell did I do wrong?"
The group exchanged awkward glances. They all knew—if Orgod had one glaring flaw, it was that in matters of the heart, his emotional intelligence was absolute zero.
Classic clueless guy syndrome.
"Enough daydreaming. I didn't summon you here for matchmaking. This is a squad tactics drill!"
As soon as Hazel left, Orson's tone snapped back to serious. "From now on, forget mass-raid tactics. It's time for squad-level synergy."
That got their attention fast.
Madman: "Why though? Can't we just call in a swarm and beat down anything?"
Orson shook his head. "Because they use swarms too. Only, theirs are much bigger."
Blank's eyes narrowed. She opened her notepad immediately—this was worth recording.
"In Infinite Dimensions, six-man squads are standard for a reason," Orson explained, turning his back as a spatial rift opened behind him, revealing a river of stars. "Without unique Soul Seals or divine tools, six-person teams are the most efficient form of combat. And with perfect coordination—they can even exceed their limits."
In the merged world, large-scale battles were rare. Too many trial-seekers in one place attracted even more terrifying monster swarms.
This wasn't like a video game where dying just meant respawning at the fountain. Here, death had lasting penalties.
Once casualties hit 20%, most raid groups would break.
Even elite factions like Dragon's Kiss Guild (US), Sword Soul Guild (NR), and Cyber Dominion (Maple Nation) would collapse once they lost half their members.
Fear of death was real.
But Heaven Demons were different. Most bore the Mark of the Reaver—they felt no fear of death, attacking relentlessly even when dismembered.
The high-tier ones had independent will, but among the vast hordes, they were the minority.
Eventually, trial-seekers learned the hard way: the six-man squad—balanced across six core classes—was the optimal strategy.
Fast flanks, surgical strikes, hit-and-run tactics focused on disrupting core command units. Throw the Heaven Demon formations into chaos, then tear them apart bit by bit.
"You're all elite players. That's the general strategy. Now let's start the hunting mission."
Orson nodded and stepped into the spatial rift.
"Hunting? Wait, what boss are we hunting?" Madman shouted.
"Boss info?" Orson grinned. "Die a few times, you'll figure it out. I believe in you."
Blank raised an eyebrow. "At least tell us the boss's tier?"
"Oh right. Purple-Gold Dragon King. Did I not say?"
With that, Orson vanished into the portal.
The five of them were dumbfounded. After a five-minute crash course from their oh-so-helpful 'mentor'...
They were expected to fight a Dragon King!?
[You have discovered: Imperial Garden, Royal Palace]
A lush paradise unfolded before them, bursting with vibrant flowers and sweet fragrances—a peaceful haven in the heart of the heavily guarded palace.
"Double security! Lord Jenkins is arriving!"
Six guards in regal silver-gold armor marched into view.
[Light Dragon Empire – Royal Guard]
Unit Type: Super Elite
Skills: Formation Kill, Unified Strike, Royal Guard Reinforcements
The team tensed. These NPCs weren't just high-level—their attack stats rivaled or exceeded Domain Master bosses.
And their combo attacks could spike damage way beyond expected limits.
Madman: "Super Elites? Crap, I think I left my ramen on the stove… Maybe Raven should take this one."
Bradley blinked. "Didn't we just eat omelets together? You were full."
"…We're already here. Less whining, more fighting," Blank scoffed.
"You think I can't handle it?! I was just joking around!" Madman snapped back.
No way he'd let this woman look down on him!
"No one's using Body Domination? I'll go first."
Drunken Dream's eyes lit up. As a noble son-in-law of the imperial court, he'd been here before—and always wanted to spar with these royal guards.
Awakening: Sovereign Dragon Soars the Seas!
Silver light flashed as his dragon spear gleamed. With a powerful leap, Drunken Dream surged forward, launching into a spinning strike.
A crescent of silver energy bloomed at the guards' feet.
[Holy Flame Purge – 18,000]
Six guards were blasted into the air by divine force.