Inside the Horn Lizard Town, everything was going on smoothly.

The wide street was bustling with shouts of merchants and awakeners returning from their hunts.

Among the loud chatters, there was a topic that seemed never to leave anyone’s lips.

Black Water.

Now, Black Water had become a household name that could not be ignored nor claimed as a mere rumor.

Many had journeyed to the Mantis Town to confirm the news, and the truth left them flabbergasted.

Now, both humans and Horn Lizard Men were preparing to journey to Mantis Town. The allure Black Water brought to the Crimson Dune was not something that could be ignored.

Those that had braced the dangers of the Crimson Dune and journeyed to the Mantis Town and returned were currently being treated like celebrities.

Everyone was trying to get close to them.

There were even people willing to pay handsomely just to hear firsthand information.

Merchants earned ten times more from the wares from the Mantis Town. With the high prices of the wares, many still tried to get their hands on them.

Potions.

Weapons.

These were items that would always be in demand even if the prices shot through the roof.

Healing potions meant another chance at survival.

Powerful weapons meant another chance at returning alive from the Crimson Dune.

No matter how expensive they became, there would always be buyers.

Thus, with each passing second, the prices of these items kept on increasing, with wealth flowing like a river into the coffers of the merchants and smaller parties.

Their sudden prosperity had made countless people envious.

While the brave merchants and smaller parties that went to the Mantis Town were bathing in profit and laughter, some were filled with greed and annoyance.

Inside the Silver Crest Guild, a dangerous atmosphere hung in the air. The lobby, which was usually lively, was deathly quiet.

Guild members sat in twos and threes, whispering in low voices. Their eyes shifted toward the doors leading to the upper floor.

No one dared to raise their voices.

Everyone knew something major had happened.

On the upper floor, all the guild executives wore ugly expressions.

"Who can tell me what is going on?" Neris asked in a cold voice.

Her gaze moved from one face to another.

Their plan had been flawless, going smoothly, and everything was within reach. But then, everything went south.

She clenched her fist under the table, her piercing gaze resting on everyone inside the room.

"No one is leaving this room until I know what is going on," she declared.

Listening to her, all the executives shifted in their seats. Although they were all powerful in their own right, they were sensible enough to believe they could not take her down.

She might be a single person, but her power was enough to make them think twice.

Apart from Garron, who could take her down, none had the confidence to confront her without paying the price.

Thus, everyone in the room took her words deadly seriously.

"Neris... How can we know why the deal did not go through?" a beautiful woman said in a low voice.

She was an Alchemist.

She might not be the strongest in the guild, but her influence was second only to the Guild Master. With her stepping forward, the others’ confidence grew.

"This is beyond us. We are as shock and confused as you."

"That’s right. We all know nothing," a stoic young man responded in a deep voice.

"Why would anyone want to jeopardize this deal? This is our future we’re talking about. Only a fool would try to sabotage the deal."

Listening to him, all the executives nodded in agreement.

Many of them might not agree with how Neris ran the guild after their Guild Master’s mysterious disappearance.

Still, she did a great job, and what she was fighting for was the benefit of all the guild members.

"Then, why did the Scorpion Elder cut off the deal?" Neris pressed on.

She believed someone among them might have betrayed them. Even though her reason told her it was close to impossible, she refused to dismiss the possibility.

She wasn’t naive enough to believe there weren’t spies from the other factions among them.

Most especially spies from the Slave Trade Guild.

The Slave Trade Guild had infiltrated countless organizations throughout the Crimson Dune.

It would not be surprising if one had already found their way into the Silver Crest Guild.

"I don’t think this is the right time to start pointing fingers at each other," a young man added. His face was ordinary, but the deep scar across it made him look menacing.

Without caring about the gazes directed at him, he continued.

"We all know what the guild had sacrificed just to make that connection. And now, the connection is lost without us gaining anything."

His words caused several executives to lower their heads.

Everyone present knew how much effort, manpower, and resources had been invested.

Years of preparation had disappeared overnight.

"Right now, we must find out what happened and how we can salvage the situation."

"You must know, if we miss this chance, we can all forget about leaving this world in the next decade," he said matter-of-factly.

Listening to him, everyone inside the room sucked in a cold breath. Many of them had already spent more than two years in this world.

The longer they remained trapped inside the Crimson Dune, the more hopeless they became.

And the longer they failed to find clues about their mission, the harder it might become.

This was why many abandoned the thought of pursuing the lofty goal of leaving this world and accepted their grim fate, choosing instead to live out the rest of their lives in the Crimson Desert.

Neris frowned slightly. She refused to spend the rest of her life in this world.

She gritted her teeth and announced,

"Send out our men, we need to find out what happened."

"If we need to spend all our wealth, we must find out what happened and fix it immediately."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

At this point, there was no other choice.

Suddenly, a soft knock came from the door, catching everyone by surprise.

Neris raised her head and stared at the door for a moment before she opened her mouth.

"Come in..."

Creak!

The door was pushed open, and a young man clad in leather armor walked in.

He first bowed respectfully before looking toward Neris.

"Vice Guild Leader, there are people requesting your presence," he announced.

****

[AN: Happy New Month everyone.

Please support this book with your golden ticket and power stones.

Last month, we did not achieve 200 Golden Tickets. This made me sad.

This month, I’ve promised to work as a donkey for your Gifts.

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.

I can’t wait to start working as a donkey for you all

Thank you very much. ]