Three years and three years later, I have become the boss of the underground fire, Bronya!

[You returned empty-handed once again.]

[Not only did you fail to persuade Svarog, but even Clara began to doubt you. Your progress in the mechanical settlement was nearly non-existent.]

[You suspect someone is secretly obstructing you, and you already have an idea of who that person might be.]

Bronya looked at the words on the screen and couldn't help but sigh.

It was hard to imagine what her days had been like recently...

Without Ron's help, Bronya's progress in the Underworld was extremely slow.

Seele had been constantly making trouble for her, and without any influence in the Underworld, Bronya found herself with no room to advance without the support of the Underworld Flame.

But these things didn't matter much to Bronya... As the heir to the Guardian, Bronya had faced many difficulties growing up.

These were just temporary obstacles to Bronya; she was confident she could overcome these troubles and achieve her goals.

For now, she needed to return to Rivet Town to deal with Seele's problem. It felt impossible to succeed with Seele working against her from the shadows...

And it had been a week or two; Ron's illness should have improved by now, right?

It was time to go back to Rivet Town and check on Ron.

With this thought, Bronya clicked on the screen, read through the dull report entries, and controlled the virtual character to return to Rivet Town...

The words continued to appear on the screen:

[Due to your recent busyness, you haven't paid attention to the situation in Rivet Town for several days.]

[You feel that under the influence of others, you absolutely cannot persuade Svarog to join your faction, so you choose to return to Rivet Town to deal with Seele, who has been working against you in secret.]

[You returned to Rivet Town and heard the recent rumors.]

[Tax reform, market regulation, Underworld Flame recruitment, mine team restructuring...]

[One event after another reached your ears, and you keenly noticed that these reforms happening all at once were very unusual. You tried to get to the bottom of it.]

[From some members of the Underworld Flame, you learned that the organization had a new leader, and all these reforms were policies personally enacted by this leader.]

[You learned that the leader's name was Ron.]

...?

???

What was going on?!

Bronya stared at the words on the screen, momentarily stunned.

She hurriedly opened Ron's character card—

[Leader of the Underworld Flame · Ron (Gold)]

[Talent: Unparalleled Genius, ???]

[Description: The leader of the Underworld Flame in the lower district. Formerly the bodyguard of Bronya, the heir to the Guardian, he later chose to join the Underworld Flame and became its new leader.]

[??? (Gold): This entry cannot be viewed, and its effects are unknown.]

[This character is your bodyguard and has joined your personal faction.]

It's correct? Ron is still in my faction, isn't he?

Although there's one gold entry that can't be viewed, it's Ron after all. It's normal for him to suddenly have a new gold entry. He might have learned something new...

Bronya trusted Ron's abilities. Ron, being such a genius, might solve some century-old problem when you're not looking and even receive a gift from the star god.

In the second simulation, King Amber had noticed Ron, and in the third simulation, he swung his giant hammer three times for Ron, skipping three amber eras. It wouldn't be surprising for Ron to have any kind of entry.

But why did Ron become the leader of the Underworld Flame?

I was only away from Rivet Town for less than half a week, how did this happen?

This simulation has been strange from the beginning...

Bronya looked at the screen in confusion, subconsciously twirling her beautiful silver hair around her finger, lost in thought for a long time but unable to understand what had happened.

Theoretically, if Seele successfully wooed Ron and even pushed him to become the leader of the Underworld Flame, Ron should now be in the Underworld faction...

But the screen clearly showed that Ron was locked in my faction, so it couldn't be that he was wooed away, right?

No, I must ask Ron...

With this thought, Bronya clicked on the screen, the words faded, and new entries appeared:

[You cannot understand why Ron became the leader of the Underworld Flame.]

[You decide to find Ron and ask him what happened.]

[You wait on the road to the Underworld Flame base, and eventually stop Ron, who seems to be in a hurry.]

-------------------------------------

[You bid farewell to Natasha and decided to return to the Underworld Flame base to implement the "Pioneering Team" plan.]

[But before you reached the base, your former boss Bronya Rand stopped you on the street.]

[She greeted you and casually chatted about her recent experiences in the mechanical settlement, subtly asking various questions.]

[You felt she seemed to be hiding something, and because you were in a hurry to push the "Pioneering Team" plan, you didn't want to waste time, so you asked her directly.]

The words on the screen faded, and a new scene appeared:

"Bronya... is there something you want to ask?"

Ron discreetly tucked a few vials of potion into his coat pocket and asked with a friendly tone, seeing Bronya's somewhat hesitant expression:

"You don't need to be so reserved... if you have any questions, just ask."

"After all, I am your bodyguard, Bronya."

"Of course, I know you're my bodyguard, it's just..." Bronya hesitated for a moment, seeing Ron's sincere expression, then decided to ask directly:

"I just want to know... why did you suddenly become the leader of the Underworld Flame?"

"Did you... join the Underworld Flame faction?"

Her eyes held a bit of panic and a bit of expectation... she waited for Ron's answer.

The scene on the screen faded, and a new option box appeared:

[Bronya has noticed something amiss, but out of trust, she merely questioned you.]

[Facing the current situation, please choose—]

[1. "Since you've discovered it, I won't pretend anymore... sorry, I'm already with Natasha."

You decide not to deceive Bronya anymore and will tell her the whole truth.

Choosing this option will moderately lower Bronya's favorability towards you, and your relationship with her may completely break.]

[2. "Three years and three years more, I am now the leader of the Underworld Flame, Boss Bronya!"

You decide to continue deceiving Bronya, and she may discover the truth.

Choosing this option will depend on Bronya's trust in you and her intelligence to determine her choice.

If she discovers the truth, her favorability towards you will greatly decrease.

If she does not discover the truth, her favorability towards you will slightly increase, and her trust in you will greatly increase, making it easier for you to manipulate her.]

Seeing the options on the screen, Ron couldn't help but laugh.

...Bronya in the simulation hasn't discovered the truth yet?

I've become the leader of the Underworld Flame, how could she not immediately realize I've defected?

The Bronya in the simulation and the real Bronya seem to have completely different levels of intelligence; game AI really is dull...

Ron silently mocked in his heart and unhesitatingly chose the second option.

Although Bronya's identity wasn't important to Ron anymore, he was confident that with the Pioneering Team able to explore the Expanse, developing the underworld would be swift.

After that, the underworld's combat strength would be enough to push directly to the upper district; unifying Belobog would be achievable through sheer force, making Bronya's identity unimportant.

But peaceful unification would still be good. Sorry, Bronya, but for the future of Belobog, you'll just have to stay in the dark...

With this thought, Ron clicked the second option, and the scene on the screen changed:

"Shh... Bronya, we can't talk about this here."

Hearing Bronya's question, Ron quickly covered her mouth, cautiously looking around at the passersby, and led Bronya to a secluded alley.

Although puzzled, Bronya obediently followed Ron.

Seeing no one around, Ron let go of Bronya's hand, leaned close to her ear, and whispered:

"Boss, don't expose me... to help you unify the underworld, I became the leader of the Underworld Flame!"

Seeing the scene on the screen, Bronya subconsciously tugged at her hair—

"Ouch..."

She looked at the strand of silver hair she had pulled out, sighed helplessly, and rubbed her head, Ron's words still echoing in her ears, easing her previously tense heart.

As expected of Ron, always bringing surprises...

Who would have thought that in just a few days, he would infiltrate the Underworld Flame and become its leader?!

That's amazing, unifying the underworld will be so easy now...

This simulation is as good as done!

Thinking this, Bronya clicked the screen to continue the simulation.

-------------------------------------

[Out of trust in you, Bronya did not discover the truth.]

[She praised you greatly, looking forward to the unification of the underworld.]

["I will do my best to support you in controlling the Underworld Flame, Ron... if you need anything, you can always come to me."]

["Belobog's future will dawn in our hands!"]

[You agreed with Bronya's grand words, managed to dodge her questions by claiming you were too busy as the leader of the Underworld Flame, and extricated yourself from her entanglement.]

Seeing the words on the screen, Ron felt a slight pang of guilt.

"Who

 would have thought Bronya trusted me so much... well, I do feel a bit sorry for her."

"But... for Belobog's future to dawn, Bronya should understand, right?"

Pushing the small pang of guilt aside, Ron quickly forgot about this little episode.

Now, implementing the "Pioneering Team" plan was the most important thing...

He clicked the screen, and new words appeared:

[You returned to the Underworld Flame base.]

[Seele approached you once again, offering various suggestions...]

-------------------------------------

The words faded, and a new scene appeared:

"Ron, I think we should do something..."

Seele entered the leader's office, holding a few documents filled with messy handwriting and faint dark circles under her eyes.

Growing up in an orphanage in the underworld, Seele had always been the most mischievous...

Reading made her restless, let alone writing something.

But for the future of the underworld, she spent a lot of effort, staying up late to write her ideas for the future, hoping Ron would implement them.

"Now the underworld is too crowded due to the erosion of the Expanse, and the conflicts between miners and drifters are escalating... I think we need to provide them with more living space."

Seele handed the papers to Ron, speaking seriously:

"I think now, maybe we should look to the upper district..."

Seeing the scene on the screen, Seele felt nervous.

She had proposed too many suggestions to Ron already.

Every time, Ron faced her with a commendable attitude but never accepted her suggestions.

She could sense Ron's perfunctory attitude, making her doubt if her suggestions were too poor.

This time, she carefully controlled the virtual character, spending a whole night relying on the experience from the last simulation to write her suggestions, aiming to guide Ron towards the path of the last simulation.

She eagerly awaited Ron's response.

The scene continued on the screen:

Ron tapped the desk with his fingers, acknowledging Seele's words.

"Yes... the underworld's capacity is indeed stretched thin now..."

Then he changed the topic: "But now is not the time to target the upper district."

"Your ideas are good, but implementing them requires some adjustments..."

"To unify Belobog, we can't rush... look at this, Seele."

Ron said, taking out a glass vial with a cork from his coat, containing a transparent red liquid emitting a gentle glow.

"This is what will determine our future, Seele."

-------------------------------------

[You shared the potion "Snowstorm Immunity" with Seele.]

[You informed her about the upcoming "Pioneering Team" plan, painting a beautiful picture of the future for her.]

[Seele was extremely delighted, immediately pledging her loyalty, volunteering to join the Pioneering Team and become the main force in exploring the Expanse.]

Seele is really devoted to the Underworld Flame, only thinking about the future of the underworld...

But this is a good thing. Sending Seele to the Pioneering Team will keep her busy, and she won't have time to constantly offer suggestions.

And Seele herself is quite strong, definitely a main force in exploring the Expanse, a win-win situation...

Ron thought thoughtfully, clicked on the screen, and new words appeared:

[You watched Seele leave with expectations and joy.]

[Now, facing the implementation of the "Pioneering Team" plan, you find yourself in a bit of a dilemma.]

[How should the "Pioneering Team" plan be implemented?]

[Please choose—]

[1. Prioritize secrecy.

You believe that haste makes waste. All information related to "Snowstorm Immunity" must be strictly monitored, and the establishment of the "Pioneering Team" must be entirely under your control.

You decide to allow only some high-ranking members of the Underworld Flame with maximum loyalty to become pioneers and receive the "Snowstorm Immunity" potion.

You will start training the loyalty of the Underworld Flame members, selecting only the most loyal to become pioneers.]

[2. Prioritize development.

You believe that even a small-scale trial requires a systematic operation. The "Pioneering Team" needs a stable channel for new blood.

You decide to issue a "Pioneering Recruitment" to all members of the Underworld Flame with loyalty above 80 points, establishing a pioneering school.

You will train pioneers in batches, and the "Pioneering Team" will grow significantly within three months.]

Ron hesitated, aware of the importance of secrecy, but realizing this was a branch option appearing after choosing to be cautious.

One option was extremely cautious, while the other was slightly more aggressive, but both were fundamentally cautious.

The second option allowed members with loyalty above 80 points to become pioneers. In theory, an 80-point loyalty would prevent any betrayal, indicating complete loyalty to the Underworld Flame...

After a long deliberation, Ron retracted his hand about to press the second option and chose the first one.

Forget it... since I've chosen to be cautious, I'll be cautious to the end.

Facing the blessing of [Abundance] The Apothecary, one can't be too careful.

The "Pioneering Team" must not have any dissenting voices; it must consist entirely of individuals willing to sacrifice their lives for the future of the underworld, completely under control.

If any slip-ups occur... Ron could easily imagine the terrifying consequences.

Those who took "Snowstorm Immunity" underwent an evolution, making them significantly different in physical constitution from ordinary humans. If anyone harbored ill intentions...

It would lead to an unstoppable internal conflict.

The difference in human types would spark a life-and-death struggle; ordinary people wouldn't tolerate the existence of such superhumans, and the pioneers wouldn't sit idly by. Even with immense personal strength, Ron couldn't end such an internal conflict.

It's better to develop steadily...

Ron thought, and the option box on the screen faded, replaced by new words:

[You decide to implement the "Pioneering Team" plan with utmost caution.]

[You secretly summoned the only dozen or so high-loyalty members of the Underworld Flame, and after screening out some administrative staff, the rest unhesitatingly agreed to your request.]

The words faded, and a new scene appeared:

Standing in the secret room of the Underworld Flame base, Ron looked seriously at the few members in front of him.

He calmly placed several vials of potion on the table, pushing them towards the members.

The dim candlelight shone, reflecting a restless red light on the vials, illuminating the faces of the members.

"Drink, everyone."

Ron said calmly, "For the fate of Belobog."

"Then, Ron, what's the price?"

One of the members hesitated before the potion, "It's not that I don't trust you, but an immunity potion for the snowstorm and the Expanse erosion, this kind of thing is..."

Ron shook his head, seriously saying:

"Your concerns are valid; this isn't some pie falling from the sky... you will pay everything for this."

"Everything," he emphasized again, "After becoming pioneers, you will all pay everything."

"You will venture into the snowstorm Expanse filled with solitude and death, surviving among the dreadful Expanse creatures, exploring one ancient ruin after another..."

"The Pioneering Team will always walk the path of pioneering; your goal lies deep in the Expanse, and no one can escape this duty."

"But... all this is for the future of Belobog."

Ron took a deep breath and solemnly promised:

"The achievements of the Pioneering Team will be engraved on the Everwinter Monument, becoming the most treasured part of Belobog..."

"Never forgotten."