Many players were shouting excitedly, getting hyped up, each one looking thrilled!

But mindful of the demigod in the sky, their excitement was somewhat subdued, their voices lowered to avoid being too noisy.

Even Sterl was in a good mood at this moment. "Judging by the current situation, The Netherworld should have a lot of good stuff." he thought to himself.

Sterl looked around and saw that almost everyone had similar expressions of excitement. Theoretically, each nation should have some players who knew the truth beforehand, but everyone was still thrilled. The Netherworld being rich in resources was a win-win situation for all.

However, amidst this joyful scene, one person poured cold water on the enthusiasm.

It was "Faye." She moved close to Sterl and said in a very serious tone, "David, this mission might have unforeseen complications."

"This demigod is named Richard. Hhe used to do dirty work for Gloria back in the day."

"Originally, a legendary figure leading us into The Netherworld would have sufficed. The fact that a demigod is here likely means something's up."

Sterl's brow immediately furrowed. He knew that it was actually "Felicia" speaking, someone who knew many secrets about the Dark Moon Alliance.

If she said something, it likely had some merit.

Sterl hesitated for a second and then flipped his hand to take out two [Advanced Experience Potions].

"Is anyone willing to trade items that can exit an instance or allow large-scale teleportation for these?" he called out, not just to the people from the Divine Mountain Empire but also to players from surrounding nations.

The moment everyone saw the potions, their breath caught.

For real? A potion that boosts experience by 1.2 times and lasts for two days! Is this something you can actually sell? Some players glanced thoughtfully at Sterl and the NPCs from the Divine Mountain Empire.

"Really someone from a small country."

"To him, this experience potion is indeed less valuable than a life-saving item." Many people murmured to themselves.

"I'll trade! I'll trade!" someone immediately shouted. Several players even nearly came to blows to get the chance to make the exchange.

Sterl successfully acquired several escape scrolls (forcibly exit an instance), transfer capsules (allowing large-scale player teleportation), and hearthstones (return to any place you've lived for more than a week, within the same spatial domain).

Sterl calmly put these items away.

With these, there's a high probability that he could ensure his escape from The Netherworld.

The only problem was that this public exchange of items might seem odd. Sterl did not rule out the possibility that some imaginative people might suspect he could enhance these items.

But it didn't really matter... Once he left The Netherworld and exchanged his contribution points from the Divine Mountain Empire, the identity of David would become unnecessary.

Sterl was deep in thought.

At this moment, the demigod finally descended into the midst of everyone. With a wave of his hand, the terrifying aura dissipated completely, and everyone felt significantly relieved.

Contrary to Sterl's expectations, the demigod did not display an aloof demeanor. Richard, the demigod, calmly spoke, "I believe everyone is eager to begin their exploration of the other world. Now, please put on your rings, and I will open the portal for you."

Richard's tone was even somewhat gentle, without the slightest hint of arrogance, making it hard not to feel goodwill towards him.

After the demigod's words, Sterl, Felicia, and some other players who knew the inside story from various countries didn't hesitate to follow suit and put the rings on their fingers.

Everyone knew that without obeying the Dark Moon Alliance, there was no way they could enter The Netherworld.

Once the rings were on, the demigod merely triggered a purple light in his hand.

In an instant, the players' expressions changed drastically.

"What does this mean? Why does my interface show a buff [Lunar Restriction] indicating that all gains in the other world cannot be used and must be marked and exchanged for Dark Moon Alliance contribution points?"

"We go to explore but can't keep any rewards? We can only exchange them for contribution points??"

"Are you kidding me? This is a scam!"

Immediately, the players were in an uproar.

Exploring the otherworld was undoubtedly perilous. The players were prepared to risk their lives, hoping for a great return.

But now it had changed to contribution points? What was the meaning of this?

To put it bluntly, the Dark Moon Alliance's contribution points could be earned by doing low-level tasks over time.

It might take ten times the effort and time compared to going to the other world, but at least there was no danger!

Moreover, if they had been told from the start that they could only gain Dark Moon Alliance contribution points, many players might have accepted it. But now it felt like they had been strung along.

At that moment, everyone showed extremely angry expressions.

But faced with a demigod, no one dared to voice their complaints loudly. They only dared to murmur among themselves, "This is such a rip-off. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have come."

"Exactly, making us risk our lives for the Dark Moon Alliance? That's a joke."

"Can we still back out? If we can, I'm leaving right now."

...

The players were nearly exploding with anger, but still kept their composure, only daring to complain quietly.

Sterl, who had received advanced notice, remained calm. This group had already weighed the pros and cons and decided that even if they could only earn contribution points, they were still willing to enter the other world. Thus, they calmly accepted the situation.

Demigod Richard spoke slowly, "Anyone who does not wish to accept this can now exit."

A prompt immediately popped up in the players' vision.

[Do you wish to exit this mission? Yes/No]

Seeing the prompt, many people weighed their options. Fueled by both anger from feeling deceived and concerns about safety, they chose "Yes."

To them, abandoning this mission wasn't a big deal, especially considering the high mortality rate associated with entering the other world.

Within just 10 seconds, most had made their choice.

Sterl and Faye, on the other hand, didn't hesitate and chose "No." Seeing these two influential figures decide to enter The Netherworld, the players from the Divine Mountain Empire followed suit and all selected "No."

"Very well, those who wish to continue the mission, please wait a moment," Richard said, still in that incredibly gentle tone. "For those who chose not to participate, know that the goddess's divine power has already entered your bodies."

"Such exalted power cannot be wasted."

As he spoke, those who had chosen to exit the mission suddenly had a crimson light flash in their eyes, and the [Transcendence] system began to issue frantic warnings.

[Warning: The [Lunar Restriction] within your body has transformed into [Lunar Mark]!

[Warning: …]

…

[Lunar Mark]

[You must submit items worth 10 Dark Moon Alliance contribution points every hour, or you will suffer instant death.]

[This effect ignores distance and spatial boundaries. You can delay the payment of contribution points for up to one week, but you must pay double the points to avoid instant death.]

[You need to submit items worth at least 3000 contribution points to temporarily suspend the Lunar Mark.]

Alerts kept flashing rapidly, and the players' faces turned deathly pale. Dark purple lunar patterns appeared on their bodies.

Sizzling sounds filled the air as the patterns manifested, burning like fire on the players' skin. Many couldn't help but scream in agony.

In an instant, at least a third of the players were writhing on the ground in excruciating pain, facing a terrifying reality:

Opting out of the mission was fine, but now they wouldn't receive any rewards from the Dark Moon Alliance. They had to submit items worth 3000 contribution points to avoid death from the Lunar Mark.

The value of the Dark Moon Alliance's contribution points was exponentially higher than those of any empire. The players' only chance for survival was to enter The Netherworld and search for rare items.

What's worse, even if they managed to gather items worth 3000 contribution points, the Lunar Mark would only be temporarily suspended. The Dark Moon Alliance could re-activate it at any time, meaning these players' lives were no longer in their own hands.

In the worst-case scenario, they might end up working for the Dark Moon Alliance for the rest of their lives!

"Why is this happening? This has to be a joke."

"We just refused one mission. Is this really necessary?"

"I was wrong. I won't quit the mission. Please, I won't quit."

...

Many couldn't believe what was happening. Before they opted out, there had been no mention of any such consequences.

If quitting the mission had such penalties, the [Transcendence] system should have issued a warning!

How could they be silently branded with what essentially amounted to a slave contract?

Unable to accept this harsh reality, many players were on the verge of collapse.

Demigod Richard, however, merely smiled gently. "There's no need to worry too much. The goddess offered you a golden opportunity, and you chose not to cherish it. I had to use some measures to help you realize its value."

"But rest assured, once you leave The Netherworld and submit items worth 3000 contribution points for the first time, I can personally help remove the Lunar Mark."