With more than a month left before the emperor's emissary arrived, Eirik had already set his plans into motion.

  First, he established a series of traps and vast magical arrays around the Starlight Range. The clanspeople were also drilling in formation tactics to enhance their combat skills. It was shaping up to be something like a high-stakes tower defense game.

  Fortunately, Eirik and Pixie had recently journeyed far and wide, exploring ancient ruins that yielded a treasure trove of magical relics—tools, books, and ancient knowledge all relating to defensive formations.

  Thanks to these invaluable resources, the defenses of the Starlight Range had been significantly strengthened. Eirik even created a monumental magic array known as the Aegis Sanctum.

  The Aegis Sanctum allowed lower-level practitioners—those at Level 1 or 2—to operate it well enough to kill a Level 5 warrior and even fend off an opponent at Level 7. While it couldn't stop a Savant-level master outright, it could certainly inflict damage and slow them down, making the fight winnable for a time.

  Of course, maintaining such a powerful array consumed vast amounts of Elemental Stones, but Eirik’s newfound wealth made that problem a non-issue. For the moment, he could afford to gamble.

  Time flew as the training continued, and soon, the day of the emissary’s arrival had arrived.

  【A strong wind roared from the southeast, rustling the grass and trees with a thunderous sound.】

  The clanspeople turned their gazes to the horizon, where a brilliant streak of magic light split the sky.

  At the head of the group was a man dressed in black and gold robes, his hands clasped behind his back, radiating an aura of supreme authority. It was none other than the emperor’s famed emissary, Cassian Valtros.

  "So, this is the emperor’s envoy?" someone whispered, taking in his imposing figure.

  In the world chat, players were abuzz with admiration for his character model, their comments flying fast and furious.

  Valtros appeared as a young man with black hair, but an overwhelming sense of dignity radiated from him—enough to make anyone shudder. With a single glance, he summoned a gust of wind that caused the flowers, grass, and trees of the Starlight Range to sway wildly.

  “A Savant-level master…” Selene murmured in awe.

  “Our magic academy doesn’t even have a Savant. It’s said the founder was the only one to ever reach that level, and even that’s just a legend. To witness a Savant in action is a rare privilege.”

  Liora’s voice dripped with envy. “When will I ever reach such heights in magic?”

  In her previous simulations, she had died early each time, never even coming close to the Savant level.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Among the top players, only Elvynna had reached the legendary Grandmaster level, a feat considered almost mythical.

  Pixie scoffed, irritated. “So what if he’s a Savant? My husband—”

  But her words faltered as her eyes scanned the screen. Her stomach sank, and her face darkened.

  The emperor’s emissary wasn’t alone. Behind him stood the Monkey King, along with several elite warriors from Aelsryel City.

  These warriors were no pushovers—most were Level 5 or 6, with some possibly even stronger. While individually they might not seem intimidating, as a group, they presented a significant threat.

  At the boundary of the Starlight Range, their advance was halted by a swirling, dense mist. Yet, Cassian Valtros stood high above, gazing down from above the clouds, his expression unreadable.

  Before Valtros could speak, the Monkey King stepped forward with a sneer. "Eirik, Pixie, you criminals! Come out and kneel before the emperor’s emissary!"

  “These shameless opportunists… it makes me sick!” Pixie’s teeth ground together in fury.

  In previous simulations, when chaos had erupted with the demonic tree, none of these people had been so united. But now that the Becker family had fallen on hard times, they were all eager to kick them while they were down.

  "Looks like Pip messed up this time," Selene muttered, shaking her head quietly.

  Even without the emissary, the warriors from Aelsryel City would have been a serious problem.

  "Eirik really is getting ahead of himself," Liora mused with a wry smile. Still, she couldn’t blame him. For someone who had once been an ordinary person, gaining such power was bound to inflate his ego a little.

  "I hope he survives this…" Liora murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Without Eirik, this simulation would lose much of its appeal.

  "Keeping him alive won’t be easy," Elvynna muttered, furrowing her brow. Even for her, this situation was complicated.

  The game continued.

  Instead of retreating, Eirik boldly stepped forward from the gates of the Starlight Range to face the emperor’s emissary.

  "Kneel before the emperor’s emissary, you scum!" one of the warriors barked, his voice thick with contempt.

  But Eirik stood tall, his white robes fluttering in the wind, his posture unyielding and relaxed.

  "Kneel? Ha! The emperor’s emissary is just the emperor’s lapdog. And I, Eirik, don’t bow to dogs."

  A stunned silence fell over the crowd.

  In the world chat, players were in shock.

  Many had thought the same thing before but had never dared to voice it, especially not directly to the emissary's face.

  Sure, Valtros might be a "dog," but he was a Savant-level dog. Who in their right mind would insult him?

  "Eirik, you’ve got guts."

  A system notification chimed.

  [Congratulations! You’ve earned the title: Fearless of Royalty!]

  [Fearless of Royalty: When equipped, you are immune to intimidation effects and deal 20% more damage to members of royalty.]

  Pixie’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Another new title? My gold-card husband never fails to impress!”

  For a moment, she almost wanted to join him in the fight, to stand by Eirik’s side. But to her surprise, Eirik rejected her offer.

  "Pip, it's just the emperor’s lapdog. I can handle this. You just sit back and watch."

  Pixie blinked, stunned. "Wait… what?"

  Sure, Eirik was handsome, but was he out of his mind? Even together, they might not stand a chance against the emissary. What was he thinking?

  "Is he planning to stall them so I can escape?" she wondered. "No, that can’t be it. If he wanted to run, we could’ve done that a month ago!"

  Her thoughts spun in confusion.

  "Something’s wrong with this simulation!"

  The other players were equally baffled.

  Meanwhile, Eirik remained calm, as though unaware of the uproar his actions were causing.

  With a sly grin, he reached into his inventory and pulled out a shimmering artifact—the "Mirror of One Life."

  This was the key to his plan, the reason he had been so confident from the start.