"Pfft!"
The sharp pain in his heart forced Pu'er to glance down, only to discover, to his horror, a dagger woven from Golden Magic Power plunged into his heart.
"Damn it!"
Pu'er gritted his teeth, his gaze scanning the surroundings before finally landing on a figure in the distant crowd. There, a breathtakingly beautiful woman was staring at him with an icy gaze. Her very presence was like the frost of deep winter, radiating a bone-chilling cold.
Her fingers were interlaced, and a golden light flickered in her palms.
"You..."
Before Pu'er could speak his last words, several more golden daggers pierced his body, extinguishing his life completely!
"Taken care of~"
Standing in the distance, Ivsha watched until the Necromancer's aura had completely dissipated. Only then did she relax, turn, and return to Su Xuan's side.
But for Wang Qi, who was watching from the Guild, Pu'er's death was a devastating blow.
His face instantly turned pale as a tide of panic washed over him.
"How could this happen...?"
The dry words barely escaped his lips; for a moment, he was speechless.
Wang Qi had never dreamed that the Necromancer in whom he had placed so much hope would die during this commissioned mission. He had poured all his resources and hopes into this Necromancer, leaving his other two common-quality Adventurers at a mere Level 5 or 6.
And now, his strongest combatant was gone. This wasn't just about a failed mission; it meant his Guild would lose the ability to complete any future tasks.
Without topping up and spending real money, his career in this transcendent game would be over.
Wang Qi wasn't the only one in despair. When Mero saw the seven Undead Oath Knights turn to dust, his eyes filled with rage and disappointment.
"Damn it! Why did it turn out like this?!"
Mero gritted his teeth, glaring at Roxia as she steadily approached the White Rose Petals.
She would be the first to use the petals to fly gracefully toward the towering White Rose Flower and receive the White Rose's blessing.
And the root of all this was Rosaline's appearance. Her arrival had completely disrupted the original plan!
Mero couldn't hide the deep-seated hatred in his heart. His sharp, hawk-like eyes were locked on Rosaline in the center of the battlefield, as if he wanted to tear her to shreds.
It was her again!
She ruined everything!
If not for Rosaline's existence, the Yerman Clan would have been wiped out long ago, and the White Rose Flower should have withered and vanished ten years prior.
"Rosaline!"
Mero growled Rosaline's name, his voice trembling, but he didn't dare reveal his presence.
If the Knights of the Yerman Clan found out he was the one who hired the Necromancer, he would die without a grave!
'I can only keep waiting. Wait until the Oath Knight selection ceremony is over, then go see that person and find a way out of this mess.'
While Mero and Wang Qi were mired in the agony of failure, the scene erupted with deafening cheers.
"Rosaline! Rosaline!"
They chanted Rosaline's name, celebrating the continuation of her legendary tale.
It was as if they had returned to twenty years ago, to the Yerman Clan's most glorious moment, when a fifteen-year-old Rosaline had easily passed the White Rose's trial and successfully become an Oath Knight!
However, Rosaline didn't seem to hear the crowd's cheers at all.
Its vacant gaze turned toward Su Xuan in the distance, a trace of joy welling up within it.
This wasn't a response to the surrounding cheers, but because it had brilliantly completed the task assigned by the Guild.
"Not bad."
Su Xuan nodded at it in satisfaction, expressing his approval.
At the same time, Ivsha returned to his side.
"Mr. Su Xuan, it's been taken care of," Ivsha reported.
"Good. Thank you for your hard work."
Su Xuan smiled and gently ruffled Ivsha's hair as a reward.
Of course, for Ivsha, any physical contact with Su Xuan counted as a reward!
It was enough to stir a deep joy within her.
"Now, we just have to wait for Roxia to complete the Oath Knight's trial."
Su Xuan looked up, his gaze fixed on the White Rose Flower above.
Roxia had already entered the White Rose Flower to begin her final trial. As long as she could pass it, she would become this year's Oath Knight.
And...
Su Xuan's gaze remained fixed on Mero in the distance. From the very beginning, he had suspected that the opposing Guild had a secret client.
Natasha had guessed it might be someone from the other Knight Clans, but that wasn't a definitive conclusion.
Therefore, Su Xuan had been observing everything around him, and it wasn't until Rosaline appeared that he found a solid clue.
The reaction of Roxia's uncle didn't seem to match what one would expect from a member of the Yerman Clan. He didn't show excitement or joy; instead, he revealed fear and anger. This naturally made one question his identity and motives, wondering if there was some other hidden story.
And the moment Rosaline slayed the seven skeletal Oath Knights, Mero's reaction only served to convince Su Xuan that he was the client behind this mission!
Of course, dealing with the client wasn't a necessary condition for completing the mission. Plus, considering Mero's special relationship as Roxia's uncle, Su Xuan decided to tell Roxia about it.
As for how to deal with Mero, he believed Roxia would make her own decision.
"Look! The White Rose Flower is stirring!"
Just then, someone in the crowd cried out in alarm!
All eyes shot toward the White Rose Flower in the sky. The white Rose began to radiate a brilliant Golden light, and its previously closed bud slowly began to unfurl, releasing a refreshing fragrance.
"She succeeded! Roxia succeeded!"
"To think she still passed the White Rose's trial despite the interference... The Yerman Clan's bloodline is truly powerful!"
"As expected of Sunset City's most powerful Guardian Knight Family. Even after that incident, their family's foundation is still more than other Knight Clans can contend with."
"Roxia is so amazing!"
"She and her aunt, Rosaline, are truly the peerless pair of our Sunset City!"
"..."
Cries of astonishment rose from the crowd. Roxia becoming an Oath Knight seemed to be a universally desired outcome, with no one questioning her success.
The other eleven young Knights who had failed to pass the White Rose's trial put away their weapons and left the field one by one.
Their departure allowed the entire crowd's focus to fall upon the White Rose as it gradually descended to the ground, everyone waiting for Roxia to emerge from within.
Su Xuan was no different. His gaze was fixed intently on the descending White Rose.
The light blooming from the White Rose made his heart race. For some reason, he felt like he was about to meet a young, beautiful, yoga-loving mother-in-law, and his body temperature rose slightly along with it.
When the White Rose landed, the bud finally bloomed, revealing a magnificent sight.
Roxia stood atop the White Rose Flower, presenting a brand new appearance to the crowd, which drew gasps of admiration.
However, Su Xuan's focus wasn't on Roxia!
Because he saw a wisp of a soul standing beside Roxia, upon the white Rose, and it was even... smiling at him?
'What is going on?'
And it seemed no one else had noticed the soul's existence; only he could see it.
'Wait!'
Su Xuan suddenly realized—the soul looked exactly like the Natasha sitting right beside him?!
'What in the world is happening...'
Before Su Xuan could figure it out, a relevant notification suddenly popped up in his vision.
[Soul of the White Rose (Unlocked)!]
[Hidden Quest Recommended Level: 25...]