The group chat fell silent for a moment, then completely blew up.
Everyone who hung out in the UmbraNet group chats knew who Wylie was. Her level had no stars. Her bio listed her as the captain of The Pay-to-Win Squad. Her special skills and abilities? Being rich.
Wylie's privacy settings were airtight; no one had ever seen her true face. Rumor had it she was a young girl, only eighteen, with a staggering deposit of a hundred billion on UmbraNet! A billionaire heiress—that alone commanded respect.
If anyone managed to woo a young girl with a hundred billion in assets, even if she wasn't much to look at, they'd at least save themselves forty years of hard work. Many guys in the group fantasized about her, hoping this wealthy little lady might show them some favor.
But there were also those who dismissed her, viewing Wylie as just another naive, spoiled rich girl seeking attention and lowering the prestige of UmbraNet. After all, most of the big shots with high Star Levels hailed from The Noble Clans and were never short on cash. They scoffed at Wylie's pay-to-win flaunting and her habit of throwing money around for no reason!
Then there were the onlookers who just wanted to enjoy the drama, dropping a few flirtatious lines in the chat to catch the billionaire girl's eye. The peanut gallery chimed in all at once, their flirtations coming in all shapes and colors.
[Crazy Bee]: "Do you need a hand, babe? I can wash up and deliver myself right to your door."
[Thousand-Mile Stallion]: "Only twenty grand a month? Who are you looking down on? I'll pay you thirty grand to come farm my land. I've got a massive plot just waiting for you to plow."
[Get Rich & Tactician]: "Nobody here lacks money; what we want is the experience. Join my squad, babe, and let us carry you to the top."
[Crash The Family]: "Farming is boring. Have some deep 'exchanges' with me, and I'll boost your rank and show you a whole new world."
"..."
[Lochlan]: "@Wylie Whose kid is this? Some adult needs to come claim her. Making a fool of yourself here—I won't hold back. I swear I'll curse you out every time I see you!"
DING!
WHOOSH! A massive, dazzling fireworks display exploded across the screen.
[System Announcement]: Master Dalton has descended upon the quest community! Master Dalton has descended upon the quest community! Master Dalton has descended upon the quest community!
[Master Dalton]: "What did the kid do wrong? @Administrator Three @Administrator Four, dispose of this idiotic trash immediately."
"..."
Master Dalton's sudden arrival left everyone stunned. The group chat instantly went dead silent.
Then, Administrator Three triggered a red pop-up window: [@Lochlan has posted malicious remarks in this group. In accordance with the Star List rules, 100 member points are deducted, and his Star Level is demoted to One Star as a warning!]
Everyone drew a sharp breath. It was terrifying.
Immediately after, Administrator Four triggered another red pop-up: [@Crazy Bee @Thousand-Mile Stallion @Get Rich & Tactician @Crash The Family @... Muted for three months as a warning!]
Everyone: "..."
*
In the room next door, Tristan Sherwood was in a foul mood. Logging onto the UmbraNet quest group on his phone, he had found the little billionaire Wylie's quest post an eyesore and casually snapped at her.
He never expected Master Dalton to suddenly drop in. The sight thrilled him so much that he bolted upright, his fingers trembling slightly.
Every UmbraNet member knew Master Dalton was a supreme god who had earned a full nine stars before upgrading to LuminNet. Such legends were untouchable beings that ordinary members could barely even look up to. But Tristan had learned through other channels that Master Dalton was not just a nine-star god—he was one of the three great founders of the entire Lumin-Umbra Darknet!
A true, ultimate heavyweight!
Ten years ago, Master Dalton, The Fiend Sovereign, and Lord Knight joined forces to create this darknet, which represented the power of the top Noble Clans. Lumin-Umbra Net emerged out of nowhere, becoming a legend worshipped by a whole generation.
Back when he was still in college, Tristan had regarded the trio as his lifelong idols, dreaming of rubbing shoulders with them. Unfortunately, their identities were strictly guarded. Even catching a glimpse of them online was incredibly difficult, let alone tracking them down in reality—that was like finding a needle in a haystack.
"Welcome, Master Dalton. I am a member of the Sherwood Family from Stellan. If you ever have the time to visit Stellan, I would be honored to be at your service!" Tristan sent the private message in a flurry of excitement, his tone exceedingly respectful.
Having lived as an arrogant young master of a wealthy family for over twenty years, he was used to speaking haughtily. He had never been this subservient. After sending the message, he clutched his phone, waiting anxiously for a reply.
Suddenly, an on-site message arrived, accompanied by a red exclamation mark.
[@Lochlan has posted malicious remarks in this group. In accordance with the Star List rules, 100 member points are deducted, and his Star Level is demoted to One Star as a warning!]
Tristan: "..."
*
In the princess bedroom next door, Iris Dalton lay on her stomach on a comfortable soft bed. Resting her chin on one hand and swinging her calves, she was privately chatting with Master Dalton.
[Master Dalton]: "If you're looking for Mercenary Groups, why didn't you just tell me?"
[Wylie]: "Aren't you busy? It's just a small matter; I didn't want to bother you."
[Master Dalton]: "I'm your brother. Your wings haven't even fully grown yet, and you're already trying to fly solo?"
[Wylie]: [Cute tongue stick-out.jpg]
[Wylie]: "Alright, fine. Send a hundred men to Stellan. They all need to be at least Two-Star level or above. I'll pay their wages."
[Master Dalton]: "Do you think your brother lacks that kind of money?"
[Wylie]: "Okay, okay. I'll save the money and treat you guys to a huge feast."
Just then, Iris heard a loud BANG from next door, as if something had been smashed against the wall.
[Wylie]: "Sigh, the guy next door is throwing a fit again. He's not quite right in the head."
[Master Dalton]: "I am your brother. What kind of trash thinks they're worthy of being called your brother?"
[Wylie]: "Brother, you've been a bit irritable lately! Once I'm done growing the herbs, I'll send them over to you."
The air went quiet. The man on the other end remained silent for a moment before his slender fingers tapped out a short reply.
[Master Dalton]: "Not needed!"
[Wylie]: "..."
He truly was irritable.
*
Tristan had just smashed his phone in the room next door.
He couldn't believe it. In the blink of an eye, he had dropped from Two Stars down to One! Staring at the cracked screen on the floor, his chest tightened, and his expression turned dark and ugly.
To even qualify for the family's Young Master candidate assessment, one needed to be at least a Five-Star member on UmbraNet. He had spent five grueling years just to reach Two Stars, and now, because of a single sentence, the administrator had demoted him to One Star?
He wondered what kind of background the kid actually had. For Master Dalton to protect her so fiercely that he actually had Administrator Three, who was in charge of the Star List, vent her frustrations for her!
Whenever Tristan thought of that little billionaire named Wylie, a surge of uncontrollable rage hit him, his eyes flashing with manic disgust. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't be in such a miserable state. Not only had he lost points and dropped a Star Level, but he had also offended Master Dalton and the administrators!
RING RING RING. The phone suddenly rang. Tristan furrowed his brows, bent down to pick it up, and accepted the video call.
"Hubby." A young woman's face appeared on the screen, wearing a gentle smile.
Because of the horizontal cracks fracturing the screen, the image was warped and distorted. Vivian Morton's smiling face looked like a lopsided winter melon.
"Hubby, you look awful. Are you okay?" On the shattered screen, Vivian's eyes slanted upward grotesquely, her chin stretched out, and her large, glaringly white front teeth were fully exposed. It was both comical and downright creepy.
Tristan stared at her contorted face, unable to fight off a wave of nausea. "Aren't you at the hospital with your dad? Calling me at a time like this—what happened now?"