He knew there was nothing he could do to Alex now, so he planned to vent his anger by massacring the goblins.
But when he looked around, nothing was left.
Instead, he only received a message on his terminal:
[Defense success, please return and report quickly to the appointed area. Details below.]
Elder Xue screamed in anger, pulling everyone's attention toward him.
But no one cared; even other cultivators from the Xue clan kept their distance from him.
It wasn't that they didn't respect him; it was just that they knew his temper.
Better to stay away when he was fuming rather than becoming his victim.
Back at the Neko Clan, Alex let out a satisfied laugh. His beasts were all wounded, and even the ape was almost dying, but he felt a deep satisfaction in pulling one over on Elder Xue.
"I don't get why he was so angry," MingYue said in confusion.
"Since the beginning, that man fought against the goblin leader; he didn't kill any minions."
"Ah, no wonder then. He only got points from one. Is the point not a lot?"
"The point is calculated by strength. Even though he had a hard time against that one, at most, it's five times stronger than a normal goblin.
You can calculate the rest."
"I see, so it's more profitable to just kill the minions…
Did the Guardian make this system?"
"It's been since the moment I can remember."
Alex really admired the system created for defense. It could be said to be almost perfect.
Those that attacked could not loot; another team would be sent to take care of everything. This ensured fairness, as they would not know who got what item.
The only benefit for them was getting first dibs on purchasing the items they wanted based on contribution point rankings.
Points acquired from defeating bosses were also quite balanced.
This gave room for newcomers to grow while still rewarding enough for the ones who defeated bosses.
Of course, cases like Elder Xue's rarely happened, as Alex and MingYue were anomalies.
If not for being outsiders, with their strength, they would be asked to attack the stronger enemy first.
This would not give them a chance to massacre the weaker ones, gathering almost all the points.
Unfortunately, Alex didn't have time to exchange the contribution points.
A vast expanse of mountains and cliffs greeted their eyes; the place was desolate, filled with many steep valleys.
Alex looked down, but even with his sharp gaze, he could not see the bottom.
There were many huge eagles flying around in the air; they also had nests in the valleys.
"Eagle spiders, their eggs are a delicacy, but don't try to take them.
They are very protective; take one, and the whole nest will come at you."
"Now, you make me curious. Although it's trouble for me, it shouldn't be one for you, right?"
"Yes, but I find no reason to take it for you. Anyway, you can just buy those at any restaurant."
"Hmm… did you do it for practice?"
"It's like a rite of passage in my clan; anyone that comes of age must succeed in taking an egg from here.
The one that gets the most will receive a reward."
Alex gazed back at the nest. Despite the large size of the eagle, each spot was only held by a small line of threads.
He was sure a single step would easily cause a vibration.
'So they need to jump through this cliff, stealthily walk on that thread, capture the egg, then return.'
"Do they do it at night?"
"No, only at dawn, in the small gap of ten minutes when the eagles leave the nest."
"Well, enough looking around, let's go."
With their speed, it didn't take long for them to reach the Neko Clan.
Their town was located on top of a valley; the road was rough and dangerous, but for them, it was just daily life.
Even kids and small children could easily move through the terrain.
"Is this your clan territory?"
"Yes, but it's not what you think.
The area near the border is occupied by all nine emperor clans. From here, we will take the teleportation array back to our capital."
"Seems things are peaceful then for kids to even play here."
"Tch, those kids are part of the elite. They're bored and come here.
Let's go and ignore them."
'Oh, it seems these kids are arrogant, and Kurone has had bad experiences with them.'
Kurone gave some orders to people under her, then proceeded to bring Alex and MingYue.
"Took you a while," a man called out.
He was standing near the gate,
surrounded by a group of veteran warriors.
"What are you doing here? Go away; I need to pass."
"Sorry, but I cannot."
Kurone's eyes glinted with coldness.
"The Emperor asked for them. Are you prepared to face the consequences, First Prince?"
"That's why I'm here, Kurone. I'm sure you are tired after risking your life to defend us.
I will take them to Father."
"I never got those orders, so please go aside."
The man then smirked, walking toward Kurone, and placed his palm on her shoulder.
He whispered a few words, making Kurone frown.
The sound was small, almost unnoticeable, but Alex and MingYue could still hear it.
'For a clan that specializes in assassination, they sure talk loud.'
'Well, they are talking; unless they have telepathy, we should be able to hear it.'
'Isn't it the same with their stealth?
They still need to take a step.'
'I think that's because of their innate ability with shadows.
I have some speculations, but I will need more confirmation.
Rather than that, what we just heard is even more surprising.
A political fight to take hold of power because the clan leader is sick.
To think this happens in the beastman clan.
Usually, this kind of plot happens early in the story for those MCs born as aristocrats.'