Chapter 398: Undercurrent.
Chapter 398: Undercurrent.
[Horn Lizard Town]
Deep within a basement, three people stood around a wooden table with torches burning on the wall.
The flickering flames cast long shadows across the rough stone walls. The dim chamber was silent except for the occasional crackling of fire.
"We must act immediately," one of them said in a solemn voice.
His tone left no room for hesitation.
"Agreed," the second person nodded.
A woman.
She crossed her arms as her eyes remained fixed on the crude map spread across the wooden table.
"We must immediately activate all our men and take them down in one swift attack," the last person said in a deeply manly voice.
The three figures exchanged silent glances.
None of them underestimated the enemy.
"I heard they only had less than a dozen people with them. Even their Guild Master is not around," the first person continued with the same solemn tone.
"Our priority is to capture them alive."
His finger tapped lightly against the map.
"Won’t that be a bit difficult?" the only woman among them muttered.
Her voice carried obvious concern.
"Indeed, that is going to be difficult," the third person added.
He slowly rubbed his chin.
"Their strength has increased tremendously."
"Especially after Black Water."
"You have nothing to worry about. We are not the only ones after them. We have support," the first person said mysteriously.
Hmm?
The two looked at him, creasing their brows.
Where were they going to get the support from?
From what they knew, all their hideouts in the nearby towns had been taken down by an unknown group.
Even though they suspected the Grim Reaper, it was nothing but suspicion.
No evidence had ever pointed directly toward him.
With their hidden bases gone, where would they get the support?
The woman wanted to ask, but a slight touch from the third person forced her to close her mouth.
Seeing that the other two people did not ask any questions, the first person nodded with a pleased expression.
This was not the time to question each other.
Their main objective was to take down their enemies and complete their mission.
Everything else could wait.
"Since there are no questions, you and your team can go all out to complete the mission. You don’t have to worry about the Horn Lizard Men."
Hmm?
Once again, the duo were stunned.
The Horn Lizard Town was unlike any other town. The Horn Lizard King had complete control over the town.
Even with their influence and power, they were helpless against the terrifying Horn Lizard King.
No one dared provoke the Horn Lizard King.
No one dared challenge the authority of the Horn Lizard Clan within their own territory.
But now, they were being told they could go all out without any fear.
The more the two thought about it, the more they realized there were many powers at play here.
Still, they did not speak.
They quickly completed the impromptu meeting and rushed to leave the basement.
.....
....
At the top floor of a restaurant, Riven sat with his bold arms folded across his chest. The restaurant overlooked one of the busiest streets in Horn Lizard Town.
Below, merchants shouted enthusiastically.
Horn Lizard Men walked through the streets alongside human awakeners. The lively atmosphere sharply contrasted with the tense meeting taking place upstairs.
"What do you think of our proposal?" he asked calmly.
Seated across from him were a young man and a young woman.
The young man had fiery red hair, while the young woman had long deep blue hair.
Even though their hair was opposite in color, their faces were identical.
Without their different hair, it would have been very difficult for many to identify the male from the female.
They were the famous twins of Horn Lizard Town.
Their party was one of the strongest parties in the Crimson Dune.
Apart from their party’s strength, the twins’ strength could not be underestimated.
They were both Level 35 Awakeners.
The male twin was a Fire Mage, while the female twin was a Wind Mage.
When the two fought together, they could easily take down a Level 36 awakener, while they could hold their ground against a weaker Level 37.
Looking at Riven, the twins did not rush to speak. Their faces were expressionless. No one could guess what they were thinking.
The silence stretched for several moments. Finally, the female twin leaned forward and spoke.
"Why should we meddle in such troubled waters?"
"This is your battle. It has nothing to do with us."
"As for the promised resources, our party does not lack any."
Her tone remained calm.
There was neither greed nor excitement in her voice. The male twin silently nodded beside her.
Riven responded casually.
"I’ve heard a lot about your party, and my presence here is with high expectations, but you disappoint me."
He slowly shook his head.
The twins frowned slightly.
Neither of them appreciated being looked down upon.
"Looking at your equipment, I can see you are still using High Iron Grade weapons."
"Not even Peak Iron Grade."
"How do you hope to complete your trial with such useless weapons?" His words immediately caused the twins’ expressions to darken.
This was the cold hard truth.
"You might have been lucky previously, but with your current level..."
"If you want to increase your level, luck will not help you."
"You need sufficient strength to increase your power and level."
"And one way of increasing your power is by upgrading your equipment."
Riven’s voice remained calm. Yet every sentence struck directly at the twins’ biggest weakness.
Finding stronger equipment within the Crimson Dune had become increasingly difficult.
Even after months of searching, their party had yet to obtain Peak Iron Grade equipment.
"If you join this battle, I can’t promise Bronze Grade weapons..."
"...but I can confidently promise Peak Iron Grade weapons."
Listening to Riven, the stoic expressions on the twins’ faces faltered.
Peak Iron Grade weapons.
That sounded too good to be true.
Such equipment could instantly increase the overall combat strength of their entire party.
Many powerful parties had searched for months and years without success.
Yet Riven spoke as if they were ordinary items.
The twins exchanged a brief glance. Both of them saw the hesitation in each other’s eyes.
But Riven was not yet done.
"This is not for you only..."
"...but for every member of your party."
"But that is not the real reward."
Hmm?
Now, the twins were curious.
If Peak Iron Grade weapons were not the real reward... Then what was the real reward?
Even the usually calm male twin narrowed his eyes slightly.
Riven smiled and leaned forward. His voice became noticeably softer.
"You might find clues about your trials."
The moment those words were spoken... The expressions of both twins changed completely and their calm composure vanished.
****
[AN:
100 Golden Tickets + 2 Chapters.
Message Chair +2 Chapters
Magic Castle + 5 Chapters.
Golden Gachapoon. + 12 Chapters.
For Magic Castle, the bonus Chapter will be delivered within three days.
Golden Gachapoon, the bonus Chapter will be delivered within ten days.
]