Godlike Player in a Game-Like World

"I\'m not entirely sure, but judging by the elders\' attitudes, it appears that he has accepted the invitation to participate. Moreover, in my opinion, it would be best for him to return to the family and officially assume the position of the young master," Belicia revealed.

Although she was uncertain of Raydon\'s plans in this world and the extent of his power, she acknowledged that being the young master of a ruling family would undoubtedly provide him with additional advantages.

"If that\'s the case, then we shouldn\'t make any missteps that would thwart his plans. After all, in their eyes, we also represent that imaginary high-rank master," Dan reflected thoughtfully.

If Raydon had reached a deal with the family, there was a possibility that the deal would be negatively impacted by the fact that Dan and the others had now rejected the offer that had been extended to them.

"So what should we do? Just accept the invitation and go along with their plans?" Karan asked, a scowl on his face. The thought of easily complying with their requests and playing into their hands didn\'t sit well with him.

"Yes, we will accept the invitation," Dan affirmed. He couldn\'t dismiss the possibility that their rejection might put Raydon in a difficult position.

"But we won\'t participate as his friends, as they believe," Dan added with a mischievous grin.

"What are you planning?" Belicia inquired, her curiosity evident in her voice.

Rather than answering Belicia directly, Dan responded with another question. "Can you tell me how powerful the Demugen family is?"

Through their research, Dan and the others gained a general understanding of the strength of the ruling families, but they lacked specific knowledge about the true power of the Demugen family.

"If you\'re asking about their fighting prowess, even though they are just a big family, their power far surpasses anything you can handle. After all, unlike you, they have a B-Rank family leader and several C-Rank item holders. I must also warn you that even a single D-Rank item holder would have enough power to easily defeat all of you," Belicia cautioned, aiming to prevent Dan from formulating any reckless plans.

"I\'m not referring to combat power. They are still considered just a big family, right? I want to know about their authority within the item holder community compared to other families," Dan clarified his question further.

The public referred to the ruling families, which were located at the bottom of the hierarchical structure, as "big families." It was only when a high-rank item holder emerged from these big families that they could be elevated to the status of grand families.

Currently, the Demugen family was still recognized as a big family since they lacked a high-rank item holder and the corresponding authority to rival other families.

However, there was a second factor that determined the authority of ruling families. This factor was the number and quality of techniques a ruling family possessed, in addition to the total number of item holders they possessed.

If a family possessed exceptional techniques and had the ability to cultivate a substantial number of item holders within their ranks, it demonstrated their potential to nurture high-ranked individuals and potentially ascend to the status of a grand family in the future.

"I see," Belicia finally understood Dan\'s plan and replied with a smile. "If we count the Family leader and elders, the total number of item holders is 107, and they only possess one low-tier and one mid-tier technique."

Without pausing for a second thought, Belicia stated. Even if it were simple to find out, Belicia\'s willingness to discuss this matter so openly and freely would make it abundantly clear that she has betrayed the family, but at the moment, it was clear that she did not care about this at all.

"That\'s all? Hahaha, how weak they are," Sami exclaimed with surprise, unable to contain his amusement any longer.

Dan and Karan also wore wide smiles as they gazed upon the training ground.

Belicia noticed their expressions but was not surprised anymore. She prepared herself for the answer she was about to receive and sighed before asking, "How many item holders do you have?"

Instead of answering, Dan calmly walked toward the training ground.

After a brief pause, he took a deep breath and uttered a command that shattered the silence of the night, echoing through the air, 

"Assemble!"

She was perplexed as to what Dan was doing when all of a sudden, as she watched in amazement, everyone started to line up quickly, stopping all of their training with incredible coordination and discipline. 

In a relatively short amount of time, the individuals who were entirely dressed in black lined up before Dan in unbelievable silence, resembling an army that was getting ready to go to war.

When Belicia looked around at the group of people who had gathered, she could not help but be startled by the eerie silence that had seized the area. Despite the significant number of individuals standing together, there was an absence of even the faintest sound of breathing. It gave her an unsettling sensation, almost as if she were witnessing an army of the dead.

While Belicia was still trying to comprehend Dan\'s intentions, he issued another order, his voice piercing through the darkness of the night, 

"Shadows, step forward."

At Dan\'s command, more than half of the hundreds stepped forward, dividing the group into two distinct units.

"Begin the daily head count. Let\'s see how many have awakened today," Dan instructed with a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with what he saw.

Rayn, Karan, and Sami all stood there as the scene unfolded in front of them, but none of them showed any signs of surprise. Instead, their expressions were marked by a sense of familiarity. 

However, within Belicia, a storm of emotions raged. She had finally grasped Dan\'s true intention.

The reason Dan didn\'t immediately respond to her question wasn\'t due to a lack of trust or a reluctance to share information. The truth was that even he didn\'t have an exact count of how many item holders they had. Every day, new individuals awaken as item holders, making it difficult to keep an accurate tally.

Realizing this, Belicia struggled to find the right words to convey her astonishment. \'With this potential, they can put to shame even a grand family, let alone a big family like Demugen\'s, \' she whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief.