Zen took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“The Godfather is my idol! The Godfather is my dream! The Godfather is my only sponsor, and I don’t need any training equipment! I am Zen from no particular family. My hobbies include cooking and gaming. To the families from the Round Table who sent my sponsorship contracts, I hereby reject your offers.”

As soon as Zen said that, he heard the sound of a new notification.

[The Godfather is very pleased with your bold declaration of war against the Round Table! You have been awarded 1,000 credits.]

[You have received a unique title “Enemy of The Round Table”. You can check it out in the Character Profile tab.]

===

Name: Zen

Title: Enemy of The Round Table

Age: 15

Abilities: Gaming & Cooking

Credits: 1,700

Items: NA

Rank: 100

===

Zen wanted to cry. The title really was there! What’s more, he wasn’t able to unequip it.

“That’s a very eye-catching title,” Liu Feng teased, and Sasha simply clutched her sides laughing. Akiko hid her smile behind her hand when Zen looked like he wanted to cry.

Was this retribution for trying to act like the main character of a story? While it was terrible to be ranked #100 in this death game, Zen didn’t think that his stunt would attract much attention. It was only the first day!

“There, there. Don’t be too sad. You have something, not even the Death Princess has! I think you’re the first to be given a title. What does it do?” Sasha draped an arm around Zen’s shoulder.

Zen tapped on his title in the Character Profile and groaned after reading the description. He shared it with his friends, who leaned over at once.

===

Title: Enemy of The Round Table

Description: You have offended the Round Table families by siding with the Godfather!

Effects: Fame +100. Special attention by the Godfather.

===

Liu Feng chuckled, and Sasha smirked, smacking Zen on the back and congratulating him. Akiko nodded in approval, and Zen wanted to die. What does additional fame get him? He didn’t know what that meant, but it certainly wasn’t going to help him in his next event, was it?

The light-hearted mood was erased when the Death princess spoke.

“Congratulations on the new title. I like you even more now. As brazen as this sounds, I would like to take advantage of your newly acquired fame to assist my faction in dungeon clearing.”

Liu Feng’s warm smile turned cold at once. Sasha stiffened and unconsciously moved her body in front of Zen, who looked slightly confused. What was with the reaction?

The triad’s second young master levelled his stare and met Akiko’s one good eye. The omerta was not a lie. He would protect Zen even if it meant becoming enemies with the Death princess.

“I didn’t agree to support your faction only to let Zen die. If you insist on endangering him by putting him in the spotlight, I will kill you in the next event.”

The menacing vibes dripping from Liu Feng’s statement made Zen shiver in fear. Even though they were in the virtual world, it did nothing to make the Seer’s threat less terrifying. No wonder Sasha told him to run when he met any of the three terrors! Their online personalities were more frightening than their offline personalities.

Sasha felt all her hair stand on ends and had to stop herself from jumping back instinctively. She was between two monsters and held onto Zen’s hand tightly even if she was shaking. Could this be resolved peacefully, or should they start thinking of an escape plan?

Akiko didn’t blink. Her nickname wasn’t for show, and Zen could finally understand why she was given that name. Even in the face of potential death, she didn’t falter. The petite assassin looked at Liu Feng in the eye, observing the bloodthirsty triad young master. Liu Feng didn’t open his eyes unless he wanted to rip someone into shreds. Those empty and hollow eyes often gave people nightmares. It felt the same as looking into the abyss, and not many lived to tell the tale about how Liu Feng’s eyes were when he opened them. Fortunately, Sasha and Zen were behind him and didn’t see the haunting stare of a blind killer.

“That wasn’t my intention,” Akiko clarified. “I simply wanted him to become the advisor for our faction and work behind the scenes. He knows much more than we do. His perspectives are unpredictable, and he knows a lot about the outside world. His skills in cooking and gaming are irreplaceable. I’m not a slave diver, I will reward those who work hard. Liu Feng, you might be strong, but you are just one person. Wouldn’t having an entire faction backing him be better? We can share resources and watch each other’s backs.”

The tension in the room didn’t dissipate immediately. Liu Feng kept his eyes open for a long while before he finally closed them again and relaxed his stance. Sasha almost collapsed from relief. Thank goodness for Zen in the room! If he wasn’t here, they might have fought first and talked later.

“An advisor… What's his pay? You can’t give him the same benefits as the others in your faction.”

Zen was surprised that they were discussing his working terms and conditions in front of him and Sasha. He gave his big sister a questioning look and whispered, “Am I supposed to know all this? I thought employment terms were usually decided beforehand?”

Sasha shook her head. “Only for lackeys. You’re going to be an advisor, but you’re not part of the underworld, so Liu Feng is representing you as your official sworn brother. Even if you don’t have relations with any family or a sponsor, you technically are part of the Lau Triad’s umbrella. They can’t send you equipment because you’re not registered in their family books, but Liu Feng can make requests on your behalf using his name as a vouch. Rejecting the Round Table was a good idea, but nobody ever had the audacity to do it.”

When Zen looked back, Liu Feng and Akiko were already shaking on it. Suddenly, he felt like a fish jumping from the pan into the fire. What had he gotten himself into?