"Big brother, actually, a lot of people here know about Kroll's existence—but the thing is, every time they come and go, it's always very mysterious. And recently, no one's seen them for a long time. Some people are starting to wonder if they've already left this place."
Ron's brows lifted slightly.
This kind of intel wasn't something you could get online. You had to be here in person—or have contacts on the ground to hear about it.
If they really had left, then no matter how hard Ponzu's bees searched, they wouldn't find anything.
"Keep looking. If it turns out they've already left, then we'll have to wrap up this mission early. Once we're back at Heaven's Arena, we'll choose a different target."
Two more days passed, and still, they gathered no useful intel.
Just as Ron was preparing to withdraw—
That night, a rumor spread rapidly across the border region.
"At the edge of the desert, there's a hidden treasure left behind by the Desert Bandit King!"
"Kroll himself confirmed it. Whoever finds the treasure will receive a bounty of ten billion Jenny directly from Kroll!"
"Even those who don't find it—just participating will earn you a reward of one million Jenny!"
In an instant, the entire border zone erupted in chaos.
The people here were desperate outlaws. For money, they'd do anything.
Now that Kroll had offered such a massive reward, it instantly grabbed everyone's attention.
Some people were practically holding their breath.
"I have to find that treasure from the Desert Bandit King!"
"That ten billion Jenny—it's mine!"
A frenzy swept through the crowd.
"Captain, should we go?"
The situation clearly didn't add up. It reminded Ron of the time he took a mission from the Republic of Minbo and went to the hidden territory of the Kurta Clan. Back then, Minbo had hired a large number of mercenaries, but only as cannon fodder.
If they were just searching for an object, there was no need to offer such an enormous bounty. Even half of that amount would have been more than enough to draw in a crowd.
Let alone the fact that even those who didn't find the treasure would be paid a million Jenny— that was far more generous than the compensation offered during the Kurta mission.
"There's a high probability this is perilous. And not just a little dangerous."
Some individuals, like Ron, realized there was something wrong with the whole situation. But most had already been blinded by the ten-billion-dollar reward. They rushed forward without hesitation.
"Captain, what should we do?"
Ron fell silent for a moment before replying.
"We can join in—but we won't go too deep. Stay at the edge of the group.
The treasure isn't our real objective."
"Our goal is to gather intel on Kroll's organization. And investigate what's really going on with this event."
Ron was fully aware of the risks. But he had a card to play—Sumas's spatial storage ability. In an emergency, he could pull his entire team into the space and get them out safely.
With the decision made, they moved out.
Many people who had previously remained hidden now gathered at the edge of the desert. Usually, everyone in this place kept to the shadows.
It was extremely rare to see so many of them gathered at once.
Even the locals were stunned to realize just how many people lived along this border.
A figure appeared before the gathered crowd.
It was a woman—short and heavyset, with long brown hair. She was unmistakably a Nen user. And she was someone who didn't appear in any known intel networks.
The woman scanned the crowd.
"Thank you all for coming. Lord Kroll is very pleased. The bounty he promised will not change."
"We hope everyone will give it their all. And may fortune smile on you."
"Head for the depths of the desert!"
"If you can find the treasure of the Desert Bandit King, you will receive enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of your life—courtesy of Lord Kroll. And you'll also earn his friendship!"
"The treasure is deep in the desert! Everyone, move out!"
With that, she stepped aside, clearing the path.
Ron and his team blended into the crowd, drawing no particular attention.
A Nen user's aura could vary in strength depending on their power level— but that was only apparent in combat.
Once a Nen user used concealment techniques like zetsu, the aura they emitted would appear much weaker than it actually was.
Among Ron's group, aside from Ron, Misty, and Shizuku, the others didn't even need to suppress their aura. As C-rank Nen users, they weren't remarkable enough to draw suspicion.
And as for the three strongest, their mastery of zetsu was excellent. To outsiders, they appeared to be C-rank at best.
"Ponzu, did the Queen Bee detect any danger?"
Ponzu shook her head.
Based on Ron's assessment, Kroll's strength should be comparable to his—at A-rank. If Kroll were nearby, the Queen Bee would definitely be alarmed. The lack of response meant Kroll was not in the area.
The crowd surged deeper into the desert.
The brown-haired woman watched them go, then vanished in a flash.
She reappeared inside a secret underground chamber.
A middle-aged man sat on a raised seat.
The woman knelt on one knee.
Kroll nodded slightly.
"Everything arranged?"
"Yes, Lord Kroll. Everything is in place. Those people… for money, they'll do anything. With a ten-billion Jenny reward on the line, they couldn't resist."
She added, "As of now, there are already several thousand heading into the desert— and many of them are capable of using Nen."
"Roughly over three thousand."
"Only three thousand…"
"Not enough. Go stir up more attention elsewhere—quickly. Make sure no one notices anything strange. Otherwise, all the time we spent preparing will have been wasted."
"We'll have no choice but to relocate everything to the next site."
Under her direction, more people began entering the desert— all moving toward its deepest, most dangerous reaches.
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