It's so hard being a hero!

"Don't rush, confirm the location first before taking action."

Sophia stopped him.

"Shadow Fiends excel at stealth and ambushes; rushing in recklessly could allow them to use the terrain to their advantage and launch a counterattack."

She quickly assigned tasks: Misia was responsible for preparing healing spells as a backup on the outside; Lilia used wood magic to block the escape routes around the outpost to prevent the Shadow Demon from escaping from underground or through gaps in the walls; Mu'en's wind magic was responsible for dispelling any shadow areas that might exist when they rushed in; Noah rushed in through the main entrance; Baron followed closely behind as the main damage dealer; and Sophia entered through the side window to form a pincer attack with Noah and Baron.

Olivia and Merkel observed from a distance, refraining from interfering. This was the Silver Light Squad's first real-world coordinated attack, and they wanted to see how effective their six months of training in the Nebula Mountains had been.

Noah and Baron were the first to move.

Noah's figure transformed into a blue-white arc of electricity, and in a flash, he rushed to the front of the outpost's main gate. Lightning danced on the sword, and he kicked open the rotten wooden door.

The moment the door shattered, three dark figures simultaneously sprang out from the shadows inside the outpost, rushing towards Noah from three directions.

Baron caught up from the side, slashing horizontally with his greatsword and forcing the dark figure on the far left back.

Noah sidestepped the claws of the dark figure in the middle, and thrust his lightning sword at the shadow demon on the right.

Sophia vaulted in through the side window, landing silently. She gripped her sword in her right hand and conjured a ball of golden light in her left, pushing it towards the ceiling.

Golden light exploded in the room, dispelling all the shadows in every corner. The last Shadow Demon that tried to hide in the corner was suddenly exposed to the light and let out a piercing screech.

The battle didn't last long. Without the cover of shadows, the Shadow Demons' fighting power was greatly reduced, and with the combined efforts of the three, they were all eliminated in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Noah sheathed his sword and glanced down at the Shadow Demon's remains on the ground.

"It was easier than I expected."

That's because they cooperated well.

Barron wiped the dust off his face.

After Sophia confirmed that there were no other demonic presences inside the outpost, she signaled that Misia could come in.

Misia strode into the outpost, glanced at the wreckage on the ground, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that no teammates were injured.

Lilia followed in and looked at the wreckage on the ground.

"These things don't look that scary."

Sophia smiled but didn't reply. She knew this was just the beginning; even more dangerous missions awaited them.

In the days that followed, the Silverlight Squad took on one quest after another from the Adventurers' Guild.

At first, the missions were mostly reconnaissance and patrol missions, occasionally encountering a few lone low-level demons. The six of them worked together more and more seamlessly.

Later, as the difficulty of the missions gradually increased, they began to take on missions involving clearing out and hunting demons, sometimes facing four or five mid- to high-level demons at the same time.

Every time they went on a mission, Sophia would try to let Noah and the others do as much work as possible.

She knew that her teammates needed practical experience, and that her own true strength far exceeded her superficial level. Most of the time, she only stepped in to save the day at crucial moments.

And so, the Silverlight Squad gradually gained some fame among the adventurers of Heaven's Wrath City.

After all, a team of six young people takes on challenging tasks and achieves a high success rate, making it hard to go unnoticed.

Meanwhile, in the distant abyss of the Desire Realm.

In the deep hall of the purple palace, Lilith leaned against the bed, one hand supporting her chin, the other casually playing with the purple hair hanging down her chest.

Evelyn stood in the center of the hall, head bowed, her posture respectful and her expression calm.

"Tell me about it."

Lilith's voice was languid and carried a hint of nonchalance.

"What are the results of your investigation into Sophia over the past six months?"

Evelyn had prepared her explanation on the way here.

She looked up, meeting Lilith's deep purple eyes, her tone steady.

“Everything is normal. For the past six months, she has been on the front lines of Heaven's Wrath City, going on missions with the patrol teams of the Dawn Knights, and occasionally teaming up with her classmates to take on missions from the Adventurers' Guild.”

She paused, then added, "Her talent is indeed very high. A silver-level cultivator at the age of fourteen is rare even in Tianxing Academy. I have investigated her background. She is from Kyle City. Her father is a retired soldier and her mother is an ordinary housewife. When she was five years old, the Holy See discovered that she had an affinity for all elements, and she was personally taught by Frey afterward."

Lilith didn't reply immediately after hearing this. Her purple eyes lingered on Evelyn's face for a moment, as if she were judging something.

Evelyn met her gaze without flinching or showing any sign of guilt.

The past six months of getting along with her mother taught her how to make eye contact naturally without revealing her true feelings.

"that's it?"

Lilith finally spoke.

"That's all. We didn't find any special aura related to you, any unusual soul fluctuations, or any direct connection between her and any god."

Evelyn's voice was steady.

Lilith tapped her fingers lightly twice on the edge of the bed, as if she was thinking about something.

"alright."

She finally waved her hand, her tone still languid.

"Let's put this matter aside for now."

"There's something else I need you to do."

Lilith changed her posture.

"Go to the Demon Realm for me and see Elaze."

Evelyn was slightly taken aback.

"To see Lord Elaze?"

"Although she is nominally a member of the Dark Gods, she is not entirely of one mind with me. The demons have their own plans, and I have my own plans."