Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

“But…but the people you hired tonight…” Paul began with difficulty, “are all homeless, bankrupt, and useless people who can’t even afford to eat. What use are they?”

“Even trash has its uses,” Cheng Cheng said calmly. “What we need are those ‘non-existent people’—people who die and no one knows, people who live their whole lives and no one cares. Once they grow up, they will be the sharpest blade in the Claire family’s hands.”

Paul fell silent.

Outside the car window, the night grew deeper, and the streetlights swept past one by one.

He recalled that when the old man saved him, he also took in a "non-existent person"—an orphan from the slums, with no background, no family, and no one would even glance at him after he died.

Then he became a Gold-ranked individual and became the young lady's bodyguard.

It became part of the plan.

“Miss,” Paul took a deep breath, “can I pretend I didn’t see anything today?”

There was a two-second silence in the back seat.

“It could have been.” Cheng Cheng’s voice carried a faint smile. “But now you know that the Gold-ranked member of the Primal God Cult in Silvershine City has been hiding his identity, and no one knows who he is.”

Paul's heart clenched.

“But tonight you showed up at 13 Mink Street, stood next to me, and were on full display the whole time.” Cheng Cheng’s tone was nonchalant. “From now on, in the eyes of those people in the cult, you are that Gold Rank.”

"You're in a situation where you can't clear your name even if you jump into the Yellow River."

Paul: "..."

It's so dangerous to live in a wealthy family!

I was just an ordinary retainer, driving diligently and fighting honestly. How did I suddenly become a high-ranking member of a cult?

The city is too full of tricks, Mom, I want to go home.

Oh, I have no home, and no mother.

That's fine.

…………

The black sedan moved smoothly through the night, the streetlights flashing past the window one by one, and in the distance was the bustling night view of Silver City, brightly lit and filled with traffic.

"Miss, are we going home next?" Paul asked.

"Go back? What's there to go back to?"

The sound of the chair being adjusted came from the back seat; the young lady seemed to have shifted to a more comfortable position.

"We finally got out of here, so of course we should keep leveling up," Cheng Cheng's voice drifted from the back seat. "But the dungeons are too dangerous. I almost died there last time. This time we need to get some teammates to help us."

Paul paused for two seconds.

When the young lady says "last time," does she mean the time we entered the dungeon and then suddenly said "the plan has changed" after we came back?

We ran away on the first floor, where was it dangerous?

“Go to the Adventurers’ Guild,” Cheng Cheng said. “Recruit a few people.”

Paul swallowed hard, not daring to ask any more questions. He turned the steering wheel, and the silver shadow smoothly turned into another lane.

…………

Adventurers' Guild.

Beside the entrance to the Silvershine City underground city, there stands a three-story stone building with a huge notice board at the entrance, covered with parchment of various colors.

We are seeking one Shield Warrior. Salary negotiable. Requirements: Silver rank or higher.

"Buying Abyss Materials, High-Priced Abyss Spider Silk"

"Recruiting a healing mage for the third level of dungeon exploration, one out of six available."

Moonflower for sale, bulk discounts available, negotiable.

Cheng Cheng pushed open the heavy oak door, and a smell mixed with old parchment, ale, sweat, and the stench of monsters wafted out.

The hall was much more spacious than it appeared outside, with a dozen long tables haphazardly arranged. Adventurers gathered in small groups, some dozing off, some arguing loudly, and some staring blankly at their wine glasses. The walls were covered with various trophies—skulls of unknown monsters, rusty weapons, faded banners—and a crowd thronged around the bulletin board in the corner, jostling in front of the constantly refreshing quest log.

A young woman in a uniform stood at the front desk. She had long, orange-red hair tied in a braid at the ends and a professional smile on her face. When she saw Cheng Cheng walk in, she looked up and her voice was as clear and melodious as pearls falling onto a jade plate:

"Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild, towards the stars and the abyss."

Cheng Cheng paused, then asked, "Catherine?"

Isn't this a rip-off of the NPCs in our game "Yuanshen"?

"Um... Miss, my name is Linda." The receptionist smiled. "What do you need? The Adventurers' Guild can meet your needs."

"Okay, Catherine."

Cheng Cheng walked to the front desk and slapped his ID badge on the table: "New user registration."

Linda took the nameplate, glanced at it briefly, then looked up at his face. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her professional smile.

"Okay, what is your username and level?"

"The Judgment of the End of Light." Cheng Cheng recalled Sylvia's character title, "Silver Rank."

Linda scribbled a few lines on the parchment, then picked up a palm-sized crystal ball and handed it over: "Please enter the magic imprint."

Cheng Cheng took the crystal ball and, imitating the adventurers next to him, channeled some magic into it.

The crystal ball lit up for a moment, then went dark again.

"Registration complete." Linda pushed back her ID badge and a new parchment. "This is your adventurer's certificate. Please keep it safe. With this certificate, you can accept quests, redeem rewards, and check information at any adventurer's guild in the kingdom."

Paul had already registered as an adventurer, so he didn't need to. When Cheng Cheng asked if there were any adventurers who needed to team up to explore dungeons, Linda hesitated for a moment and pointed to a corner of the Adventurers' Guild: "There are a few elves from the Empire here, and we need to recruit silver-rank swordsmen."

Cheng Cheng looked over—

Elf.

They are real elves.

Its long, pointed ears peeked out from its hair. Its features were much softer than those of the Kingdom's people. It had a slender figure and fair skin, like a creature that had stepped out of a fairy tale.

"It is said that the Empress has issued a new decree that all dungeons in the empire will be entirely managed by the military, and adventurers will no longer be needed," Linda explained. "The monsters in the wild have also been cleared out by the military, and adventurers have lost their jobs, so they have chosen to come to the kingdom to make a living."

Cheng Cheng nodded to indicate that he understood, then stepped forward and asked, "Recruiting swordsmen?"

A seemingly refined elf turned around, saw Cheng Cheng, his eyes lit up for a moment, then his gaze swept over the silent black shadow behind him, and he became more reserved.

“Yes, we’re recruiting swordsmen.” He looked Cheng Cheng up and down. “What’s your rank?”

“Silver,” Cheng Cheng said. “The one next to me is too.”

"Really?" The elf looked at him suspiciously. "You're so young, and you're already at the Silver level?"

Cheng Cheng didn't answer, but simply drew the Renzhi Sword from his waist and casually twirled it.

With a flash of light, the sword tip came to a steady stop three inches in front of the elf's nose.

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

The elf took a half step back, swallowed, and then laughed: "Alright, alright, silver it is! Welcome, welcome!"

He turned and waved to his companions behind him:

"Brothers, we've got a new guy! Let's introduce ourselves!"

The first person stepped forward.

He was a burly man who was at least two meters tall, with bulging muscles. He carried a giant axe that was taller than a person on his shoulder. His eyes were dark gold, with a faint red light flowing in his pupils, making people afraid to look directly at him.

"My name is Yang Chen, from the Black Dragon River of the Empire, also known as Freljord." His voice was deep and rugged. "Class: Berserker. Talent: Eye Technique - What's Up With That? Whenever I make eye contact with an enemy, a passive effect is triggered—my attack and defense power are greatly increased."

Chinese-style names... So all the spirits here have Chinese-style designs?

Humans are Westerners, and noble elves are Easterners... Wait, isn't this plagiarizing the setting of Lord of Mysteries?

Cheng Cheng raised an eyebrow: "Where are the others?"

The second person to step forward was a petite elf girl wrapped in a white magic cloak.

She took off her hood, revealing her cute face: "My name is Li Xianyu. I come from the land of four rivers. I play as a necromancer in the team. I am good at farming summoned ancestors and necromancers. I am great in raids."

As she spoke, she raised her staff and performed a short act: "Fairy staff, rise up!"

In the blink of an eye, a crack appeared in the ground, and several wisps of grayish-white smoke drifted out from the crack, gradually condensing into a semi-transparent human figure—an old man wearing ancient armor, with white hair and beard, his face indistinct, yet exuding a chilling aura.

“This is my great-grandfather,” Li Xianyu said. “He’s equivalent to a silver-tier undead. I can summon three more of him. So, tell me if you want him or not!”

"And then there is me."

The third one to step forward was the elf who had initially spoken with Cheng Cheng.

He had regular features, a gentle temperament, and a faint smile on his lips. He looked like a scholar, holding a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand and a writing brush at his waist.

"My name is Kong Wenbin, and I come from the east of the mountains." His voice was clear and his pronunciation was precise. "My profession is that of a clergyman."

He bowed slightly to Cheng Cheng: "I can pray to the Confucian sage of the Empire's faith to bestow a defensive blessing. As long as we recite the sage's words, the entire team will be protected."

Having said that, he cleared his throat and began to speak:

"Clang, clang, clang, clang, forget the idle gossip, let's talk about the saint's benevolent light, bestowing upon our entire team the strength of a city wall—"

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint golden halo spread out from his body, enveloping everyone within a three-meter radius.

Cheng Cheng looked down at his arm; a thin, transparent film was faintly visible on his skin, seemingly indestructible.

The last elf was a boy who looked only sixteen or seventeen years old.

He was wearing tight leather armor, with a bulging backpack on his back, and a steel shield strapped to his arm like Captain America. The shield was very thick, and upon closer inspection, it looked a bit like a manhole cover that he had picked up casually.

The boy smiled brightly: "My name is Tiedan, and I come from the south of the river! My profession is scout archer!"

"My talent is insightful observation, which allows me to pinpoint the enemy's weaknesses and increase critical hit rate and critical hit damage—"

After he finished speaking, he flicked his wrist, and the manhole cover on his arm flew off with a "whoosh," drawing a perfect arc in the air before slamming into a pillar ten meters away, embedding itself three inches deep.

"Low brain, medium!"

After saying that, the manhole cover flew back into his hand, and then he threw it out again—

"Immortal Guy, great!"

"Open-foot bag, hit!"

"Win! Win! Win! All of them are correct!"