You promised to wreak havoc on the dungeon, but instead you've got Dragon Slime!

The flame of appreciation in the crimson eyes of the Balrog Lagos shone even brighter.

The corners of his mouth even curved into an extremely subtle, lava-like arc:

"Sir Ron, there is no need to worry about such concerns."

His voice even carried a hint of warmth.

"At that time, I will personally take action to seal and suppress the attributes of your entire team! Your level, equipment, passive talents... will all be temporarily adjusted to the top level of LV10 adventurers!"

He paused, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Absolutely fair and just! All you need to do now is find a group of trustworthy teammates as quickly as possible!"

"Oh I got it!"

Ron suddenly realized, and slapped his forehead:

"That's no problem!"

He thought for a moment, then asked uncertainly:

"By the way, Great Lord... can I ask anyone? Are there any restrictions?"

The Flame Demon Lagos's gaze swept over the deep-seated nobles on either side of the conference table.

"Except for the attendees here. As for the rest, anyone you can ask and who is willing to help you is welcome."

Ron considered his network of contacts: Lilith was one, but Duke Cedric was out of the question, as was Earl Martel…

Hmm, Carolina, Alyssa...

Oh, including himself, that makes four?

He hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked:

"Um... if we can't get five people, four... should be fine, right?"

Audience: "..."

This vampire boy repeatedly made outrageous statements, challenging the limits of the noble gentlemen's understanding.

The Balrog Lagos paused slightly at the question.

After a moment of silence, his voice remained deep and resonant, yet it carried a captivating and incomprehensible tolerance:

"Theoretically... of course."

He changed the subject, his tone revealing a hint of barely perceptible concern.

"But this matter involves your lives and fortunes, so even if you are very confident, you cannot be careless. Only when all five of you are present can you be absolutely sure of success."

"Understood! Thank you for your guidance, Great Lord!"

Ron nodded seriously, his face showing no fear, but rather a sense of relief as if he had solved the problem.

"Well... can we leave now? We still need to find someone quickly!"

Looking at his humble yet confident attitude, the Balrog Lagos was overflowing with admiration.

He nodded slightly, and added a sentence that clearly echoed throughout the silent hall:

"Wait a moment."

His gaze carried an undeniable weight.

"When you embark on this challenge, your equipment must not dishonor your status."

"Later, you can go to my secret vault to select equipment!"

His molten, burning pupils stared directly at Ron:

"—A full set of top-tier legendary equipment! Absolutely no less than the strongest adventurer team heading out to 'explore'!"

This is no longer charity, but open and unquestionable strong support!

After saying that, Ron turned and left decisively.

He didn't have high hopes for Carolina's ability to help.

Lilith, Alyssa, and myself—three people are enough.

As for Lilith going to "visit friends"...

Ron's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and the outcome was almost predictable.

As soon as Ron returned to his humble cottage, he saw a familiar figure sitting on the stone steps in front of his house—it was Lilith.

"Miss Lilith?"

Ron was somewhat surprised:

"You didn't go home?"

Lilith looked up at the sound.

The weariness of the day's journey and a profound sense of desolation lingered on her face.

The scenes from her previous visits lingered in her mind:

The tightly closed doors, the shifty eyes, the cold rejections, and even the undisguised, sarcastic mockery directed at her, as if she were a jinx to be avoided at all costs.

This experience completely reshaped her understanding of so-called "friendship".

Her former amiable demeanor and boisterous toasts were nothing more than an illusory reflection of her "daughter of a duke" status.

Once the halo fades, reality becomes stark and harsh.

She stood up, supporting herself on her knees, her movements slow and her voice hoarse:

"Not enough people... Is it really going to work?"

Her confidence was shaken to the brink by reality.

Ron's reaction was surprisingly calm.

He shrugged easily.

"Of course. In fact, if all else fails, I can go by myself. You can just sit and watch."

His tone carried a sense of certainty.

Lilith stared at his calm, expressionless face, unable to discern whether it was genuine comfort or genuine confidence.

But she took a deep breath, straightened her back, as if she had made some kind of decision:

“No matter what,” she said, her voice soft but clear, “I will be with you.”

Three days flew by.

The spacious equipment room was filled with supplies that Alyssa had purchased.

Bottles of various sizes were neatly arranged, shimmering with different colored lights—

Paralysis relief, flame protection, lightning suppression, powerful treatment...

The variety is so complete that it's almost redundant.

Clearly, Alyssa followed her own "safety" principle.

Chapter 68 Carolina's Choice

However, the situation on the equipment rack next to it was not so optimistic.

Several pieces of protective gear and weapons, shimmering with a light blue luster, were neatly arranged, but their quality clearly did not meet expectations.

The best they could get were a dagger that glowed with purple light and a breastplate inlaid with a dull magic stone.

Duke Cedric frowned, picked up a blue leather armor and examined it, his voice tinged with suppressed displeasure:

"Alyssa, what's going on? I told them to go for top-tier LV10 equipment, no matter the cost! Why are we only getting these blue-quality items?"

Green and blue equipment are only considered low- to mid-range adventurer gear in Ironflame City.

Alyssa lowered her head, her long eyelashes concealing her emotions, but there was a barely perceptible hint of grievance in her voice:

“Your Grace, I have done my best. I went to the equipment shop immediately, but the shopkeeper said…”

"Before he received your message, almost all the gold and purple-grade high-quality equipment and materials of level 10 and above in the city had been bought up by a few unknown 'big customers'."

Duke Cedric was taken aback at first, then reacted, veins bulging on his forehead, and slammed his fist heavily on the low table beside him:

"Bacchus! It must have been that old bastard Bacchus who did it! Damn it! Those guys don't want us to win at all!"

Blocking the source of the top-tier LV10 equipment is undoubtedly an attempt to cut off their final preparations.

Alyssa nodded gently:

"That's my guess too. The kobold merchant also hinted that the buyer was extremely generous and had a mysterious identity, and the timing was perfect, just before we needed to make the purchase."

Just as Duke Cedric was burning with rage, Ron walked over.

His gaze swept quickly over the pile of equipment, seemingly unconcerned.

He even picked up a pair of unusual blue boots with tiny nozzles on the heels, examined them from all angles, and a hint of interest flashed in his eyes.

【Name: Jet Boots】

[Quality: blue]

【Usage Level: LV7+】

[Effect: Activation significantly increases jump height and distance (use with caution above flammable materials)]

"These boots are interesting."

As Ron spoke, he casually placed it aside.

He casually picked out two light green leather bracers and a simple helmet, then picked up the bow and arrow he had previously acquired, which gleamed with a faint purple light, and slung it over his shoulder.

"Alright, that's all. We can set off now."

His tone was as relaxed as if he were going on a picnic.

Duke Cedric frowned as he looked at the "junk" Ron had picked out and then at the only purple weapon on his back.

Does this kid really have some amazing trump card, or has he already given up preparing and is just pretending to be calm?