"Assassins aren't mages. Sometimes, these small trinkets can easily cause a mishap," You Jiu murmured, eyeing the necklace skeptically.

  "That won't happen. The necklace in your hand is called the Phantom Necklace..." Kael began to explain.

  "It has a skill like that? I’ll take it!" Upon hearing the explanation, You Jiu didn't hesitate for a second. She immediately fastened the necklace around her long, slender neck.

  Meanwhile, Lan Ye picked up the Rock Golem Ring and tested it on her finger. Lan Qing'er and Fei Xue also found themselves unable to resist the charm of these accessories. Even the two younger girls, Lan Zi'er and Nalan Qinqi—though not usually interested in jewelry—didn't dislike them. Seeing their older sisters picking through the shelves with such enthusiasm, they curiously drifted over to watch.

  Shier took over the role of explaining the items from Kael. Compared to armor, the effects of accessories were often more practical and versatile.

  The eyes of Lan Ye and her team grew brighter by the second.

  Previously, the weapons and armor they bought were purely out of necessity for increasing their strength. Although the System’s designs were flawless, the "Iron-Blood" style was domineering and imposing—hardly fitting Lan Ye’s aesthetic preferences.

  However, these accessories captured their hearts completely.

  When it came to shopping, women rarely maintained their rationality in the face of shiny, exquisite jewelry. The fact that the attached effects were powerful was just the icing on the cake.

  Out of the ten accessories on display, aside from the Fire Spirit Orb—which none of them could use—they bought everything else. After all, necklaces and rings occupied different slots, and one could wear multiple rings on both hands. Buying a few extra wouldn't hurt.

  In fact, while paying, Lan Ye even asked, "Store Manager, do you have any other accessories?"

  Kael suddenly realized that earning money from women was terrifyingly easy. He felt a pang of regret for not drawing more accessories from the lottery.

  Though he thought this internally, his face remained impassive as he replied flatly, "Not for the time being."

  After all, Kael was a store manager with some conscience. Impulsive spending wasn't a good habit to encourage.

  "Alright then. Let's begin our routine training," Lan Ye didn't press further. They came here every day anyway. Their priority was to finish their daily quests in the Combat Simulation Room.

  Eastern Wasteland, Orc Territories.

  Naga led the returning Orc army back to this barren land. An Orc general came forward to meet them, relieving Naga of his command and temporarily taking control of the troops.

  "Thank you for your hard work." "General Naga, you are too polite."

  Naga unequipped his weapons, handing them over to the receiving general. Then, alongside Priest Nalo, he headed toward the Beast King's Palace.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The Eastern Wasteland had always been a desolate place, unsuitable for crops and scarce in resources. Yet, in such a land, a towering, magnificent palace stood like a dormant behemoth.

  It truly covered over three hundred miles, isolating the sun from the sky.

  Naga and Priest Nalo passed the Royal Guard’s inspection, walked through the winding corridors, and finally entered the palace grounds.

  A scene of golden splendor immediately unfolded before their eyes.

  Every five steps stood a tower, every ten a pavilion; the corridors wound like silk ribbons, and the eaves pecked upward like birds' beaks. Each structure embraced the terrain, their corners hooking and fighting for space. The complex coiled and spiraled like a beehive or a whirlpool, towering high with who knew how many thousands of rooms. Long bridges lay across the water like sleeping dragons—though there were no clouds. Raised walkways spanned the air like rainbows—though the rain had not cleared. High and low, the layout was bewildering, making one lose all sense of direction.

  The sheer wonder of the scenery was breathtaking.

  This was the Beast King's Palace, built from the blood and sweat of thousands of Orc craftsmen.

  Naga kept his eyes straight ahead, walking through the heavy corridors until he reached the central throne room. Priest Nalo did the same.

  In the great hall, the Beast King, clad in royal robes and radiating an aura of authority without anger, sat upon the Lion Throne. Below him, the patriarchs, elders, and priests of the various tribes stood in rows on either side, arranged by the strength of their respective clans.

  "Greetings, Your Majesty. May your reign last forever."

  Naga knelt on one knee, performing a soldier's salute. Priest Nalo bowed deeply, performing a priestly rite.

  "General Naga, Priest Nalo. Did this western expedition yield any harvest?" the Beast King asked from his throne.

  His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried an inherent majesty that suppressed the hall. Everyone present lowered their heads, daring not to make a sound.

  The Beast King was the strongest existence within the entire Orc race and the inheritor of the "Beast King's Power." This current King had inherited the strength of his predecessors, reaching the peak of the Hero Rank.

  The so-called Hero Rank meant that a person possessing such power could be called a "Hero" in any race. They were the foundation upon which a race stood. Only races possessing Hero-rank power could be considered "True Races."

  Humans, Dragons, Orcs, Demi-humans, Elves, Dwarves—all these were classified as major races because they possessed Hero-rank powerhouses. Conversely, smaller branches of the Demi-human race, like the Moon Spirit Cats or the Wolf-Kin, were grouped together under the generic "Demi-human" umbrella precisely because they lacked Hero-rank protectors.

  The Beast King’s words fell onto Naga’s ears.

  Naga lowered his head further, apologizing, "This subordinate failed in his mission. I beg Your Majesty for forgiveness."

  "Oh? A tiny Cloud Mist City was able to stop General Naga's tiger-wolf army? Your strength has truly regressed," the Beast King said. His tone was flat, yet it carried a terrifying pressure.

  Though there was no anger in his voice, cold sweat beaded on Naga's forehead.

  "Your Majesty, there is a hidden reason for this," Priest Nalo spoke up from the side.

  "What 'hidden reason' could cause you to return in triumph so soon?" the Beast King asked with feigned curiosity.

  The sarcasm was palpable.

  "Returning in triumph" referred to an army coming back victorious. Applied to Naga now, it was a stinging mockery.

  Cloud Mist City’s Lord, Qin Ming, was merely at the Class Rank. Naga, a peak Class-Rank warrior, leading an army backed by a beast tide and even supported by an Iron Mountain Beast, had failed to take down such a small city.

  It was no wonder the Beast King was displeased.

  "Your Majesty, please quell your anger. The matter was truly beyond our ability," Naga said quickly. "It seems a Hero-rank powerhouse is residing in Cloud Mist City, and he did not wish for us to continue our attack."

  "The Shadow Squad we sent out was also lost at the hands of that expert."

  Priest Nalo nodded slightly in agreement. On this matter, they were not lying.

  "A Hero-rank powerhouse?"

  The Beast King looked down at the kneeling Naga and Nalo. He could naturally tell they weren't lying.

  But a Hero-rank powerhouse was a strategic asset. The Desolate Origin Empire wouldn't be so extravagant as to station a Hero-rank expert in a backwater like Cloud Mist City.