"Are we seriously going to build characters in the UJ region? Is this even a smart move?"
Charles, with a forced smile, had just sent Orson back to the villa and now looked confused as he glanced at his boss.
"What else can I say? If Orson says it's possible, then it's possible. The number one player in Infinite Dimensions... I can't argue with that," Lauren said with a wry smile.
She'd finally gotten her hands on a huge opportunity, but Orson's request was very peculiar. He wanted her to mobilize all their funds and resources to transfer operations to the UJ region.
This wasn't just about buying server permissions at a steep price; she also needed to have all the studio's employees delete their accounts and sell off their assets to leave the US region.
It was an enormous loss. Rank Studio was currently in a rapid growth phase, and they were making money hand over fist from gold farming, base labyrinths, dungeons, and other revenue streams.
As they cruised down the main road, Lauren still couldn't believe what was happening. Orson had given them a chance to change their fate—something so unbelievable she, as a businessman, would never have even dared to dream of.
"Honestly, I think this is an SSR-level opportunity. With his current abilities, he could have partnered with a much bigger studio," Charles muttered as he lit a cigarette, staring out the window with a hint of disbelief.
It hadn't been long since he humbly acknowledged Bradley as his superior, but now that same man was asking them to go to the UJ region and prepare to… take over UJ region.
Yes, take it over—truly dominate the region!
While UJ wasn't as competitive as the US region, Merek, or the Nordic regions, it still had four players in the top fifty of the leaderboard.
And that bastard, Orson, wanted them to control the destiny of the four million players in UJ!
It was beyond absurd—it was pure fantasy.
Lauren's feelings were equally complicated. Following Orson, she had earned a lot of money. But rationally, she thought his idea of "dominating a region" was impractical.
But Orson was number one on the leaderboard, and he had a massive lead over second place. His guild, Godslayer, was untouchable in the US region.
She simply couldn't resist the allure. This was a chance to rise to the top, a chance to achieve the kind of success she had always dreamed of!
Lauren's pale fingers trembled as she drove, so she had Charles take over. After smoking a few cigarettes to calm her nerves, a manic smile slowly spread across her face.
"Let's do it. I'm all in. Even if we lose, he'll take responsibility. He promised me that."
"In two hours, players below level 20 who are life players, please gather outside Saint Maiden City at the Pilgrimage Ancient Road."
Orson sent out a guild announcement in the game.
"Life players…"
"Saint Maiden City… that's so far! We're going to get wrecked by the small monsters!"
"A 35-40 level monster area… Are you trying to get us killed, guild leader?"
A hundred or so life players groaned. These were mostly new recruits, many around level 15. Although life players didn't have as strict leveling requirements as PvE players, their low level meant they couldn't gather high-quality materials.
Old Yin: "Are you sure you're not going? If you don't go, I'll go!"
Absolute Kid: "What? You're taking low-level alts and not bringing us? Is this favoritism?"
"Grind monsters? How are we supposed to grind with so many people? Even if the guild leader is strong, the monster XP will be split among all of us," a level 16 priest complained.
Iron Cavalry: "Boss, if I escort them, can I AFK for two hours?"
"Main players handle things on their own. Go do something else," Orson replied coldly.
"Please, just take me once more on the rocket ride! I'm so close to leveling up!" Iron Cavalry begged.
"Iron Cavalry, even you need help?" the life players asked, confused.
Despite their reluctance, the life players started making their way toward Saint Maiden City, following a few of the guild's high-ranking members.
The Pilgrimage Ancient Road was a monster zone for level 35-40 elites.
Orson sat on the ground, the Crimson Lizard King dozing by his side. The road, once teeming with monsters, now lay eerily silent.
After a long wait, about twenty life players showed up, all battered and bruised. They had practically crawled their way here, barely managing to activate the teleportation array when they got close to the main city.
"Is this the Super Crimson Lizard King? Wow! This thing looks even scarier than in the forum videos!"
"Guild leader's level is so high, he's making even overseas players breathe hard."
The group gasped as they saw Orson sitting calmly in a white robe on a stone seat. His calm smile contrasted sharply with the monstrous Crimson Lizard King beside him, which was eyeing them with bloodshot eyes, making everyone too scared to move.
"Hello, nice to meet you. I'm the Guild Leader of Godslayer," Orson said, slowly opening his eyes. His gaze shone brightly like the "Bright Galaxy."
"Hello, Guild Leader!" the players quickly greeted, no longer as casual as they were in the guild chat, where they'd jokingly referred to Orson as the "Melee Emperor."
When you think about it, this was the only player in the world with an SSS-rated combat power, a player who was literally the best in the entire game, and the one in charge of a guild that could walk through the US region without a care.
Despite Infinite Dimensions being just a game, Orson was an influential figure, and anyone who was lucky enough to meet him was already in the presence of greatness.
None of them could claim to be unaffected.
"No need to be so formal. You guys should already know the situation in the guild. A big battle is coming, and I need everyone's help to overcome this challenge," Orson said, smiling.
The players stared at each other, realizing that their guild leader wasn't the demon everyone had imagined. He wasn't here to destroy a guild, nor was he demanding absurd things.
But even so, they didn't believe they could be of any help.
I Love Family: "What can a bunch of herb-pickers do? Don't mess with us."
Rush B: "I'm only level 17, I don't even know how to play the game properly. How am I supposed to fight? I'm too weak to be of any use."
The life players were mostly older, parents, veteran gamers, or university students with too much free time. They were just trying to make a bit of extra gold from crafting potions, food, or items to sell.
Orson understood their situation well. There weren't many people like Dancing Giant Boobs, who just enjoyed farming and had money to spare.
"There's no need to underestimate yourselves. You just need to level up a bit, and you can become a powerful force," Orson said with a smile.
The players exchanged uncertain glances, thinking Orson was just being polite.
Orson shook his head, a bit helpless. "In Godslayer, as long as you follow orders, you'll earn more than you ever imagined."
I Love Family: "Haha! Boss, you know me!"
The moment he said that, Orson's words hit home. Everyone wanted to be a big shot, but with their mediocre skills, it felt like an impossible dream.
Still, they could earn more money. That was practical, and everyone could get behind it.
"Join the team and gather near me to AFK," Orson said, inviting everyone to group up.
Rush B: "The guild leader really wants to drag us all along... One hundred and twenty-five?"
"Not everyone's here yet, so don't rush," Orson said with a smile.
After half an hour, more players joined, and the group slowly grew.
"Are we all just chatting? One hundred and twenty-five people?" The group stared, confused.
Moments later, Orson's mid-sized raid group of 110 appeared.
The life players, still bewildered, crouched down near the ancient ruins, looking like a strange group of people preparing for something big.
Orson smiled and activated the regional channel: "UC-Hills, UC-C dot, Slaughter, your time to farm is up."