Sacrifice's Rise: I Became Invincible After Entering Godslayer Temple

John smiled knowingly and replied softly, "You're mistaken, little one. You did everything right. Whenever there's an issue, you should call me first." 

He added possessively, "You're mine. If you can't talk to me about your problems, then who can you talk to?"

His words, dripping with possessiveness, sent a warm rush throughout Emma's body. 

She wished she could meld herself into John, becoming one with him.

Holding Emma close, John scanned the room. 

His gaze finally settled on the young men and women in the corner. 

"Are these... all your classmates?"

John's voice was even, yet every student instinctively lowered their heads, unable to meet his gaze. 

He was like a fierce lion, openly asserting his dominance. 

Emma simply nodded in agreement.

John sneered softly. These so-called classmates had not stepped forward to intervene when Emma was being bullied by Eric. 

While they might have been intimidated by Eric's background, their cowardly behavior still earned John's contempt.

Suddenly, Fiona stepped forward, beaming, "Mr. Galewind, it seems we meet again."

John's brow furrowed slightly, taken aback by her openly using his in-game name. "Ah, Miss Smirk. For a moment there, I didn't recognize you," he responded cordially.

Fiona giggled, "What's going on, Mr. Galewind? You recognized me just a moment ago and now you're pretending as if it's a revelation?"

John replied calmly, "Please call me by my real name, Miss Smirk. I am John Foster. I assume you already knew that. I'd rather not have too many people know the name 'Galewind' for now."

Fiona's smile faltered slightly. 

It was clear to her that John was not pleased, likely due to her revealing his identity to the Taylor Group. 

His earlier words had been an indirect reference to that matter. 

Furthermore, Fiona understood the significance of the name "Galewind." 

She was an avid player of the game Godslayer and a fervent fan. 

Lately, the name most frequently whispered in the corridors of Godslayer was "Galewind." 

In essence, Galewind had become the sole idol for a vast majority of gamers, his fame perhaps even surpassing most celebrities.

Fiona chuckled, "Understood, Mr. Foster. I promise I won't reveal your true identity to anyone in the future."

John finally cracked a satisfied smile.

Fiona laughed lightly, saying, "John, when Eric was bullying your little girlfriend, I was the only one who bravely stepped up to protect Emma. Don't you think you owe me a 'thank you'?"

John glanced at Emma, who gently nodded in agreement, "Indeed, Fiona was there for me. She stood between Eric and me, preventing him from continuing his harassment."

The sincerity in John's smile deepened, and even the way he looked at Fiona seemed less indifferent. 

John teased, "Well, I should definitely thank you for that. But Miss Smirk, if you're hoping for me to repay your kindness with a romantic gesture, think again. Even if Emma is your junior and good friend, sharing a boyfriend is still off the table."

Fiona retorted playfully, "Dream on! I have no interest in a flirt like you. But if you truly wish to show gratitude, maybe you could share some insider tips from Godslayer? After all, a top player like you must know a lot more than us newbie gamers."

"Just a little tidbit here and there would be good enough for me," she added with a wink.

John burst into laughter, "Alright, we can exchange in-game friend requests. I'll send you a couple of top-tier equipment."

Fiona's eyes narrowed into gleeful slits. 

Ever since she learned about John's status in Godslayer, she'd harbored such hopes. 

Given her current struggles in the game, why wouldn't she want to align herself with a top-tier player?

John chuckled, "You all continue having fun. I'm taking Emma home. Tonight's expenses are on me. Enjoy yourselves." 

Casting a brief, amused glance at the silent students who resembled timid quails, he exited the room with Emma on his arm.

The moment John and Emma left, a buzz of conversation erupted.

"Senior, who exactly is Emma's boyfriend? He seems even more prominent than Eric's family," one remarked.

"Indeed, his presence is so powerful," another added.

"Just one call made Eric swallow such a bitter pill. It's unbelievable."

"How did Emma meet such an impressive boyfriend? And he's so handsome too..."

Fiona, wearing a mocking smile, watched the flurry of chattering students. 

"Don't even dream about it. Men like him are rare finds in this world. Emma just got lucky. You all won't have the same chance." 

Her sarcastic comment immediately embarrassed several eagerly listening girls. 

They indeed had some wild imaginations...

...

Strolling along the brilliantly lit streets, John held Emma's delicate hand.

"Achoo..." Emma sneezed adorably, leaning more closely into John for warmth.

"Are you catching a cold?" John pulled her into an embrace, concern evident in his eyes.

She snuggled closer, "I don't think so, just feeling a bit chilly..."

After feeling the temperature of Emma's forehead, anger flashed in John's eyes. 

"You're burning up? Damn it, I shouldn't have let that Eric scoundrel off so easily..."

Emma wrapped her arms tighter around John's waist, shaking her head, "It's okay. Everything you've done for me makes me feel like the luckiest woman in the world, Johnny."

Tenderly stroking Emma's hair, John quickly hailed a taxi to get them home. 

Without any hesitation, he carried her into the bathroom, ignoring her shy protests, and gave her a warm bath. 

Then, he made her some ginger sugar water and ensured she took her cold medicine.

Watching the young lady drift peacefully into sleep, John finally let out a sigh of relief. He whipped up a quick snack and then activated the Game Chamber, reclining into it.

[Welcome back to the world of Godslayer...]

Following the ethereal system notification, the visuals in front of John transitioned. 

When they reappeared, he was in the streets of Silverglow.

John stretched, adjusting to the energy coursing through him, and then accessed his constantly buzzing communication channel. 

After a day offline, there were numerous messages waiting. 

Beyond the regular system notifications, he had received messages from the likes of Blue Sea Adam and others.

Blue Sea: What's up, Galewind bro? If you're free, Adam and I would like to chat in person...

Adam's message echoed the same sentiment as Blue Sea's.

A faint smirk graced John's lips, already discerning what the two usually preoccupied top guild leaders wanted to discuss. 

It was probably about their recent achievement of being the first to kill a deity in the game...

However, John also had matters to discuss with them.

After a moment of contemplation, John replied to Blue Sea: Got held up today, just logged in. I've got time now...

To his surprise, Blue Sea responded promptly: Finally received a reply from you! Perfect timing. I'm currently in Silverglow, and that guy Adam is here too. Shall we pick a meeting spot?

John: How about we meet at the Silver Manor, where we met last time?

Blue Sea: Sounds good. See you at Silver Manor in half an hour.

...

John aimlessly wandered the streets of Silverglow. 

The half-hour window gave him just the right amount of time to peruse the newly released leaderboards from the system. 

As he opened up the achievement board, it was no surprise to see his own name reigning at the top, especially after accomplishing the awe-inspiring feat of the deity's first kill. 

As a reward for that monumental achievement, the system had granted him several million Achievement Points:

[Achievement Leaderboard:]

[1st Place: Anonymous Player (Solo Player), Achievement Points 8,600,000]

[2nd Place: Adam (Guild Leader of Genesis Guild), Achievement Points 38,800]

[3rd Place: Blue Sea (Guild Leader of Blue Sea Guild), Achievement Points 36,700]

[4th Place: Bambooist (Guild Leader of Travelers Guild), Achievement Points 35,000]

[5th Place: ...]

...

As John had anticipated, the leaderboard was predominantly occupied by the guild leaders of the world's top ten guilds. 

It made sense. In the game of Godslayer, earning Achievement Points was notoriously difficult. 

Typically, slaying a lord-tier boss of one's own level would net a mere few hundred Achievement Points from the system. 

And trying to obtain Achievement Points through quests was an even taller order. 

Only by completing certain specific quests could one earn these points.

John stroked his chin, pondering the significance of Achievement Points. 

Frankly, in the early stages of the game, not many players gave much thought to Achievement Points. 

The majority lacked the foresight to realize what these points truly represented.

It's only in the mid to late game that the importance of Achievement Points would fully come to light. 

Large-scale wars would break out, and many rewarding quests would require spending Achievement Points to accept, especially those involving racial and faction confrontations. 

Moreover, Achievement Points could be exchanged for military honors and titles...

Calculating in his mind, John estimated that with his over eight million Achievement Points, by the endgame, he could at least negotiate with the Northern Myst Empire for the title of a ruling duke. 

That meant becoming an upper-class noble with his own lands...

...