It has been several minutes since the containment of the red gate was completed. The monster carcasses have been cleared, and the area is being monitored by robots.

One of the robots that assisted Adrian then flew over to his side.

"Are you leaving already, sir?" it asked.

"I'm just trying to monitor the situation," Adrian replied.

"It's okay, we have everything under control. Besides, what if others found out your true identity?"

"They won't," Adrian responded confidently.

"Is that because of your mask, Mr. Marcus Zheng?" the robot inquired.

Adrian's expression turned cold and he emitted murderous intent as he asked, "Did you just hack into the Player's Association's database?"

The robot responded with a lifelike voice and a nonchalant attitude, "What's the problem with that? After all, the Phoenix Guild holds some authority over all the branches of the Player's Association, don't they?"

Adrian clenched his fists, his voice quivering with anger, "You...!"

"Especially when someone is pulling the strings from the inside, right?" the robot continued.

"What exactly do you want from me?" Adrian asked, his tone icy.

"Join the Phoenix Guild, and we'll guarantee your growth as a Player," the robot offered.

"And if I refuse?" Adrian retaliated.

The voice suddenly changed to a youthful tone, "Are you saying you're rejecting our offer? You're the second one, Adrian."

Adrian's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. It belonged to Norsa, the successor of the first Guild Master of the Phoenix Guild, who is currently ranked as Number 3.

"You're…" Adrian gasped.

"What did you expect? These are my robots, and I can take over their minds anytime I want," Norsa explained.

Adrian froze, not knowing what to say to this man. Despite Norsa's calm demeanor, he knew that he could turn him into dust in an instant if he angered him.

"I'm not here to harm you, Adrian. I just see the potential in you becoming a powerful Player someday. Besides, don't you miss me?" Norsa asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Adrian began to think, it's true though, he had been close to Norsa when the latter was still a relatively weak player, tinkering with machines and gradually gaining power. Adrian had been inspired by Norsa's accomplishments as a kid.

"Can you give me anything that I want?" Adrian asked.

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

"Of course! Anything you want - money, fame, power, there's nothing that I couldn't give you," Norsa replied.

"And what would I have to do to earn these things?"

"Pledge loyalty to us," Norsa said.

"To the Phoenix Guild?"

"Yes, the strongest Guild in the world. I know you're envious of your brothers, and you have ambitious goals. I understand your struggles, so if you join us, we'll take care of everything. We'll support you from the shadows, help you gain fame and influence, handle any problems or obstacles that arise, and even cover them up if necessary. All you have to do is achieve great things."

"Such as?"

Norsa continued, "You can do whatever you want - explore gates, fight otherworldly threats, anything. It's all up to you. Just achieve great things, and we'll handle the publicity. It's not a bad deal, is it?"

Adrian's head was aching. If he accepted the offer, he would be bound to the Guild, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If he refused, he would end up like many other super rookies - forgotten and left behind.

"We'll have you join the Guild in secret, and as you make achievements, we'll increase your influence. It's a solid plan. We can discuss the details of the contract later," Norsa added.

Despite Norsa's convincing words, Adrian was still hesitant.

Norsa chuckled at Adrian. "Do you know how many thousands of players want to join the main forces of the Guild? Many S-ranks have even been rejected, and you're still hesitating?"

Feeling pressured, Adrian nodded. "Fine, I'll join you."

"Good. Talents like you should always go to the Guild and nowhere else. Alright then, goodbye for now. I'll be contacting you later~" Norsa said, waving his robot hand as he stopped controlling it.

With the robot regaining his control of his body back, he said, "You've finally agreed to my master. I'll be going now, Mister Zheng."

Adrian's mouth twitched beneath his mask. He wasn't sure if the robot was being sarcastic.

He was getting ready to leave. Everyone in the area had been evacuated long ago, and the area was now under surveillance and being closed off. As soon as he got into his car, the smartwatch inside his car started ringing. Without delay, he accepted the call from the unknown number nonchalantly. "Hello?" Adrian said, and a hologram popped up, displaying a face.

It was Norsa's face. "Hey~"

Adrian forced a smile. "I thought you were going to contact me later?"

"Hasn't it already been a few minutes?"

“Whatever. What do you need? Is it about the contract?"

"Nope. I have a mission for you."

"A mission?"

"What? I thought you were already a member of the guild?"

"Yes, I am…"

"You're going to the level 10 dungeon, right?"

"Yes… and?"

"I want you to team up with a group there. Just complete the mission together."

"Who are they?"

"Just a group affiliated with the lower guilds. Also, there's a certain special person there. The Snow Princess, ya know her?"

"Yeah, I know her… she's there? Do you want me to protect her?"

"No, just letting you know. Anyway, go there. They won't question you, they already know you," Norsa said.

"Got it. I'll head over there," Adrian replied.

With his fast car, Adrian quickly arrived at the location. He parked his car in a nearby lot to avoid drawing attention and approached the dungeon building.

As he entered through the main entrance, he put on his mask to conceal his identity. Although it was not illegal to hide one's identity, the association required people to register their personal information to avoid any issues.

The association was controlled by a powerful AI, making it difficult for anyone to steal personal data. Only mechanics, who are at least half as powerful as Norsa, could infiltrate the database, and even then, they could only do so for a few seconds before being forcefully shut down and terminated by the AI.

In the distance, Adrian noticed a bulky man waving at him with a smile on his face. "Hey! You, masked guy! Over here!" he shouted.

Adrian picked up his pace and arrived in front of the group.

As he was standing there, his smartwatch rang, and he saw Norsa's message: [That's them]

"Seriously, he can see me here?" Adrian thought to himself as he glanced at the bulky man. His smartwatch rang again, and Norsa's message appeared: [And hear too]

Maybe I should just stay quiet, Adrian thought to himself.