On the parchment was a symbol that involuntarily caused everyone in the room to shiver. As soon as Reyes dropped it, the temperature plummeted even further, turning the room freezing cold. The silence was suffocating as everyone's gaze lingered on the ominous symbol, one that belonged to one of the most powerful factions in the human domain.
The symbol itself was dark and twisted, jagged lines forming curves that seemed to writhe on the paper. At its center was a single eye with a black pupil that absorbed the light around it. Below the eye, in elegant script, were the letters **Lich Court—LC**.
Captain Bofan's gaze lingered longest on the symbol. His eyes flashed with realization before he turned toward Reyes.
"A part of me always knew you people wouldn't kill a store owner for no reason," he stated flatly. "So it was their doing."
'What do you take us for? Psychopaths?' Reyes wanted to say, but instead he kept quiet, silently observing the captain, who now had a thoughtful look on his face.
Captain Bofan clenched his fists as old memories he had tried to bury began to resurface. As a military man, he had dealt with his fair share of threats from monster-class individuals. However, none were as chilling as the Lich Court, a group of the most powerful necromancers.
With their legions of undead, they could reduce entire cities to ruins. Bofan had fought them several times, losing a significant portion of his squad each time. Hearing their involvement soured his mood considerably.
He then turned to face the others, his expression grim. "We'll go to this location... but we'll need a foolproof plan. This could be a trap."
Fixing his gaze on Reyes, the blue-haired guild master of the Mavericks, Bofan added, "Reyes, do you have a plan? Your guild may only be Bronze-ranked, but you're in the top ten of Valerian Kingdom, known for your strategy. I trust you've got something in mind?"
Reyes wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a thinly veiled reminder to get the elemental crystal at all cost–– the key to his guild's Silver-rank quest. Either way, he responded.
"Yes, I've got a plan." His gaze swept across the room before he added, "But I'll need everyone's help, especially from Silvermist Guild and the Bladesong Academy students."
"We'll cooperate!" Brolly lounged back, a loud thud echoing as his massive legs, twice the size of Nox's, hit the table. Impulsiveness ran in his blood, and while it had solved many problems in the past, this one required strategy.
Critical thinking wasn't Brolly's strong suit, so he decided to let the others handle it. Of course, he had his own plans—plans to snatch the elemental crystal when the time came.
"We'll agree," the Silvermist Guild leader said coolly, adjusting her glasses and flicking her long, flowing black hair as she locked eyes with Reyes. They stared at each other for a moment before she sneered and turned away.
"Annoying... always annoying," she muttered under her breath.
Like the Mavericks, Silvermist was also a Bronze-ranked guild in Valerian Kingdom. The two were fierce rivals, both vying for the coveted Silver-rank.
"Now that the troublesome ones are settled, let's go through the plan." Reyes nodded toward Brolly and the Silvermist leader, both of whom shot him glares in response.
Ignoring them, Reyes stood up and began pacing as he laid out his strategy. The explanation lasted a solid thirty minutes, during which everyone listened intently. The plan required absolute cooperation—one mistake, and the whole operation could crumble.
The Silvermist leader stared at Reyes with a complicated expression. For a brief moment, a glint of admiration flashed in her eyes. Despite their differences, she had to admit Reyes was a capable strategist. She would never say that out loud, though.
"Alright, then," Reyes said, slamming the desk. Everyone stood up. "Remember, we take out the elemental beast first, and afterward, we can kill each other for the crystal. Understood?"
Everyone nodded. Reyes spoke of killing each other so casually, it sounded like any other topic of conversation.
With the plan in place, the various leaders returned to their groups to prepare. They aimed to reach the location specified in the letter as soon as possible.
Of course, none of them knew that another group had received the letter a day earlier, giving them a significant advantage.
Meanwhile, back at the abandoned ship, the golden door opened in the middle of the shabby room. Nox stepped out, instantly feeling the stuffy air again. Compared to the fresh air of the other dimension, filled with ocean breeze and trees, Coastal City's atmosphere felt stifling.
If only he could accidentally return to that dimension. He would spend more time there with his pets, but that wasn't an option. Sometimes, Nox wondered if he would ever have that luxury.
Sighing, he waited for the door to disappear before leaving. Nox shivered slightly as he recalled the time a powerful demon had passed through the door. Though he had been half-conscious at the time, he had sensed that this demon was far stronger than Goliath, the second-ranked demon.
"Luckily, Mom was there to stop him in time." Nox smiled as the door finally faded away. He placed the dimensional key back into his inventory. Then, his fingers tinkered with the old rusty lock on the door, opening it.
"Hmm." His eyes immediately fell on something: a piece of white parchment lying on the ground.
AN: Thank you for Supporting Supreme BeastTamer with golden Tickets and power Stones I really appriaciate! It's just the 8th and we're in the top200 of GT ranking, I hope we can keep this up.
- 50 Golden Tickets for 2 Chapter: [Completed]
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