Chapter 91

Eleventh floor, Golden Karen Hotel.

Monroe stepped in for the first time and was instantly blown away by the luxury of the eleventh floor!

Who would've thought that in the middle of an apocalypse, there could still be a place this fancy?

Especially in Tower City, where the water supply was still running, the hotel's presidential suite felt like a slice of heaven in the middle of chaos!

Monroe couldn't help but wonder if she was dreaming.

"Iris, do you actually live here?"

After wandering around the eleventh floor, Monroe asked, wide-eyed.

"I'm just crashing here for now. The real boss is over there."

Iris pointed to Richardson and explained,

"He's the team captain; you can call him Richardson. I'll introduce you to the other lovely ladies later. For now, I'm just a temporary member, like you, an intern!"

Iris chuckled as she spoke.

Everyone in the living room looked puzzled.

But Richardson seemed to get her humor and explained, sighing, "Cathy joined the organization because of you, and now we're all basically tagged by your Struggle. You've brought in another young girl and want to stick around. Do you think our team is becoming a talent pool for your organization?"

Karen and the others finally got it after Richardson's explanation.

And when they thought about it, it made sense.

"Gorgeous Dr. Anna, lethal Lily, loyal Jasmine, and Karen, our resident chef and blacksmith. Seriously, if it weren't for you, I'd try to snag them all myself! What's the most valuable commodity in this world? Talent!" Iris laughed, genuinely amused.

Richardson, however, grumbled, "Without me, you wouldn't have met these talents! Let's be clear, Cathy joined Struggle because you saved her; I have no issue with that. But if you try to poach anyone else, I'll definitely stand against your organization!"

Iris just laughed harder at Richardson's weak threat.

After bringing Cathy into the organization, she felt like she had Richardson wrapped around her finger!

"Alright, relax, I'm not planning to poach anyone else right now. I'm actually thinking about whether to have the whole team join the organization. Or maybe you could become a subsidiary, like a branch. If that happens, I bet Black King would be thrilled. The apocalypse was created by the Creator with so much effort, and we end up snagging the best talents."

The rest of the team didn't really care about the back-and-forth between Iris and Richardson.

They'd gotten used to their banter over the past few days.

Just like Karen, Iris loved to argue, and no matter how heated things got, they never crossed the line with each other. So everyone just headed back to their rooms to freshen up, too lazy to get involved in the conversation.

Monroe, being new to this whole apocalypse thing, was super interested in all this fresh info.

Was this what the real apocalypse was like?

Thank the devil for saving me and giving me the chance to experience such an interesting life. And don't worry, that guy named Lord Dragon, I definitely helped you take him down!

"Alright, I won't argue with you. What's your name, young lady?"

Finally turning her attention to Monroe, Iris tried to be friendly as she asked.

No matter her attitude, Monroe, who wanted to understand the power of Magic within her, wasn't going to miss this chance.

"I'm Monroe Rivera, very honored to join the team as an intern!"

Smiling at Richardson, Monroe showed her eagerness to join.

From what she had seen so far, this team seemed oddly normal!

Compared to the villains who killed her friends before, Richardson's team's kindness was like a ray of sunshine in winter.

So Monroe was really interested in getting to know this intriguing team.

Plus, she was super curious about the unknown energy within her, which Iris called Magic.

"Welcome. Even though you might leave with Iris soon, I hope we can get along well until then."

Richardson didn't show any special expression to the newcomer Monroe.

After a brief chat, he went back to his room to wash up, leaving Monroe and Iris in the living room.

"Get your stuff together, I'll take you to the eighth floor later. There are some empty rooms there. From now on, we'll live there," Iris said, heading to her room to pack her bags.

She had been planning to leave the eleventh floor for a while but had been waiting for someone to go with her. Now, she finally had the chance.

"Not staying on this floor?"

Monroe was curious since the conditions here were obviously better.

Why not enjoy the good place and go to the rooms below?

"Trust me, if you stay here, you'll soon lose it. That guy's combat power is too strong. Minors shouldn't live on the eleventh floor."

Waving her hand, Iris didn't want to explain further.

When Jasmine, Number One, and Number Zero heard Iris was moving to the eighth floor, they suggested going to the ninth floor to find rooms to stay in for a few days, which would make it easier for training.

Richardson helplessly waved his hand, realizing that while he was enjoying a happy life, he was also causing trouble for others!

But even with the trouble, he wouldn't change it!

A man who had experienced happiness couldn't just forget that enjoyment. In more civilized terms, it was like a man who had seen the ocean, how could he be content to return to a stream?

After taking a shower, Richardson changed into his pajamas, lay on the soft and comfortable bed, and quietly stared at the ceiling. Although he hadn't mentioned it all along the way, today's encounter was, to be honest, a bit beyond Richardson's expectations.

It was quite a ride!

Powerful enemies showing up all at once!

If time hadn't stopped, if Amon and those weird masked guys hadn't suddenly appeared in the sewer, Richardson really wouldn't have known if he could make it back today. Or rather, his own return might not have been the issue. But how many of his team would still be around, that was the real question.

"I have to get stronger. The fourth tier isn't enough, not even the fifth!"

With a long sigh, Richardson finally summed up his situation as a fear of not being strong enough.

His once happy and peaceful life philosophy was disrupted again by the sudden appearance of a huge crisis.

Amon didn't die, and it seemed that followers of other Lords were also involved in the operation to snatch the Dragon Clan hatchling.

So, unsurprisingly, Richardson was basically standing on the opposite side of the Creator organization.

Even though Richardson might not be ready for this, the situation wouldn't give him the chance to prepare.

All along, he was completely on the defensive.

Since being targeted by Lord Dragon, Richardson never had a chance to take the initiative.

"Come out for dinner!"

After lying and thinking for a long while, Richardson finally heard Anna's voice, prompting him to get up from the bed.

In the living room, Jasmine and Number One were already there.

Iris and Monroe were also sitting down.

"Skipper's here!" Iris said cheerfully, then turned to Monroe. "Introduce yourself to everyone and tell your story. If anything you're not comfortable sharing, just skip it. If anyone's curious, they'll ask. And if it's really private, they'll respect that." She gestured around the room. "Captain Richardson, Dr. Anna, Lily the assassin, Jasmine the warrior, and Karen, our chef and blacksmith extraordinaire. The chatty white cat is Helen, and the quiet guy is Number One."

After a brief introduction, Iris had been explaining Magic power to Monroe on the eighth floor.

She didn't ask about Monroe's past or introduce the team members.

She deliberately waited until everyone was present to give Monroe the chance to introduce herself.

After hearing Iris introduce everyone but herself, Number Zero, the little black dragon, snorted in dissatisfaction to remind everyone of its existence.

"This is Number Zero, or 'Little Guy'. And that little black dog over there is… also called Little Black Dragon,"

Number One suddenly spoke up, introducing the silent Number Zero first.

Then humorously gave the little black dragon a proper introduction!

But the little black dog really fits the image.

Even Monroe didn't associate this fellow with being a member of the Dragon Clan, simply thinking it had a cool name! As for Number Zero, at first, no one noticed that it wasn't human.

It was even a bit strange how Number One, as a father, gave his son such a casual name?

But then again, the name Number One was also quite casual!

"I'm Monroe. Hello, hello, everyone. I just arrived in Tower City today. Before that, I had been living with an older girl…"

Monroe was still young and didn't know how to hide herself.

It was also possible that the sincerity of Richardson's team and the friendliness of Iris touched her.

In any case, Monroe spent ten minutes recounting everything she had experienced after the apocalypse, including the source of her Magic power within!

"Kill Lord Dragon? The strange man with the serpent mask, and a deal with the devil?"

After listening to Monroe's story, everyone fell silent.

Richardson pondered repeatedly on these two questions, unsure of how to explain the truth to Monroe.

Iris sat dumbfounded in her chair, unable to speak.

"In this situation, it seems you are in quite a dilemma! You've received favor from the Serpent Lord and agreed to kill Lord Dragon for him. If you were considered his follower, it would make sense, but he clearly didn't tell you everything about the Creator, indicating he doesn't intend for you to become a follower. It's very peculiar! I really can't fathom the minds of those mad Lords—so strange! Discovering talent, not nurturing it, but letting it grow after a deal, without interference or disturbance."

Feeling like her brain was about to burn, Iris sat in place for a long time, unable to comprehend the Serpent Lord's thoughts.

Helen, upon seeing everyone silent, smiled and asked, "I can't guess his thoughts either, but it seems, Iris, that your mission is complete! I didn't expect to pick up a little girl and finish the mission like this—it's quite fortunate! Iris, I believe Monroe should be trustworthy; you can rely on her."

Licking her paw, Helen snuggled in Anna's arms with a mischievous smile.

Seeing Helen so happy, one would think she had encountered some lucky event!

"Trust me? The Serpent Lord—the devil you made a deal with, right? Iris, I'm well-prepared. If that devil's identity is questionable, please let me know. Don't worry. Our deal is limited to him granting me the power to help him kill Lord Dragon. Beyond that, he has no further intentions."

Monroe was indeed a naive child.

Even in the face of the team's collective silence, she continued to ask without any defenses.

She didn't even seem to have a hint of suspicion!

If it were another person with survival experience, they would have prepared to protect themselves in the moment of silence and started planning how to escape!

But it was Monroe's state that made it difficult for everyone to have any other doubts about her.

"Even if I don't say it, you will know sooner or later."

Taking a deep breath, Iris seemed to have made a decision, "Alright, Monroe, listen carefully to what I'm about to say next."