〈System Alert: 1/1 Cross the «Mountain of the Blighted».〉
Izroth activated his Energy Vision Sense at maximum range to scan a large portion of the valley.
His goal was simple. He wanted to isolate any energy signatures that were strong, alone, or in an isolated place with the potential of being a cave.
Izroth only kept his Energy Vision Sense active for a couple of seconds before ending it and taking a moment to organize the vast amount of information he obtained.
'There are five strong energy signatures. Out of the five, three of them are in isolated locations that hold the highest likelihood of being the Sunstone Cave.'
Out of the three individuals or creatures Izroth detected, one was alone and the other two appeared to be together. However, there was something troubling about the locations.
'They are in completely opposite directions. If I choose wrong, we would consume too much time having to turn back. Not to mention, I still have no idea how long it will take to convince them. Then… Do I have no choice but to take the 50% chance?'
Izroth believed the person who was alone held the highest chance of being Ilioreas. After all, someone who lived in a place called the Sunstone Cave was probably not used to having any visitors.
But, Izroth thought about Astratis' current circumstances and could not rule out the possibility that perhaps someone from the other side was meeting with Ilioreas in an attempt to win them over. If that was the case, then the possibility of him failing the quest would increase with every moment that person had to convince Ilioreas.
Of course, there was no penalty for failing the quest. However, Izroth was not the type to willingly embrace failure.
'Well, I suppose there is no point in overthinking it. I just have to cross that bridge if I come to it.'
"Let's go," Izroth said as he began to descend down the mountain pass and into the valley as Sychia traveled close behind.
…
Meanwhile, back in the Mortal Realm…
At the moment, a huge wave was sweeping through RML. It was an event called Hunting The Hunters. However, it was not an event given by the system, but rather one that was organized by players!
Several hours ago, some shocking news was spread throughout RML and rapidly took the world by storm. Initially, there were some players who remained skeptical about it, but there were two core points that changed their perspective.
One was the fact that a top guild like Sleeping Gardenia was backing it. And, secondly, videos had already started to show up on the forums showing players claiming their reward.
With these two factors, the situation boomed and more players started to join in. It was to the point that some were even willing to abandon their post in the official event to chase after this profit.
However, while this event was organized by Sleeping Gardenia, it was made clear that the true person behind this Hunting The Hunters was none other than the Mystical Realm Palace owner, Izroth!
This had to do with the ultimate reward that every top player, guild, and organization had their eyes on—a favor from the Mystical Realm Palace.
Just by eliminating the leader of the Headhunter Syndicate, they could gain a favor that was impossible to purchase with money alone. In fact, in their eyes, it was the 10,000 gold coins that were just a bonus!
…
Somewhere near the Xanaharpe…
"What did you just say?! Are you certain?! You have to be 100% positive!" A loud voice sounded.
This voice belonged to the guild leader of Blue Oasis, Asgard.
Right now, Asgard had grabbed the messenger by the shoulders with a hopeful look in his eyes.
"I have confirmed it myself. We cannot let this chance pass us by, leader." Complex Assault, the vice-guild leader of Blue Oasis responded as Asgard had a strong hold on his shoulders.
"…Excellent… Truly excellent! Our Blue Oasis has not been abandoned hahaha!" Asgard exclaimed as his mood seemed to instantly improve.
He then continued, "Let Captain Minus and Squad 6 find the guild leader of the Headhunter Syndicate and deal with him! Wait, have Captain Road also accompany him! We can't let this opportunity slip away from us! This may be our Blue Oasis' only chance to regain the favor of Palace Master Izroth!"
…
At another location in the Mortal Realm…
"Hey, Ewan—ya heard about the bounty on those bastards from the Headhunter Syndicate? Ahahahaha! Serves em' right! They have been a bit of an eyesore lately." Dragus, the vice-guild leader of Cross Haven said boisterously.
"I am well-informed. I have already made a few arrangements. Although, I would have liked to personally attend to the matter." Ewan, the guild leader of Cross Haven, replied.
"Heh, it's not like ya have a choice. We gotta finish things up here, after all!" Dragus commented.
"Unfortunately, this one is a little troublesome," Ewan said calmly as the ground beneath his feet shook as his gaze landed on the ferocious warrior a few meters in front of him.
Name: Jiltanis the Great Destroyer(WORLD BOSS)
Level: ???
HP: ??? (22.83%)
…
Back at the Mystical Realm Palace…
"I'm here to claim my reward! I killed two people from the Headhunter Syndicate! I have proof!"
"M-me too! I got four of them!"
"I killed someone who I thought I saw hanging around people from the Headhunter Syndicate—does that count?!"
At the moment, the Mystical Realm Palace was flooded with players. Most of them were there to collect their rewards for the bounty.
Of course, there were a few dishonest souls among them who simply wanted to see if they could take advantage of the situation to make a quick profit.
"T-these people…!" Aurora thought to herself as she rapidly dealt with the quest bombarding her.
Aurora was Fang Qiu's in-game name. She acted as Izroth's financial advisor. And, after this latest fiasco, she wanted nothing more than to strangle Izroth.
Just as Aurora had finished laying down a solid financial strategy, Izroth dropped this bounty hunt out of nowhere!
However, despite the headache, it generated and the fact that it was not the best use of one's finances, in the end, Fang Qiu understood Izroth's character.
Since his friends were targeted, there was no way he would sit back and do nothing about it.
Thankfully, Mariposa sent over some guild members from Sleeping Gardenia who specialized in logistics and information management; otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to properly control the situation at hand.
BANG!
Suddenly, a heavy shockwave spread throughout the Mystical Realm Palace, causing everyone to fall silent.
"Anyone who does not follow the rules will be thrown out of the Mystical Realm Palace! Line-up properly and wait for your turn patiently; otherwise—I will remember you." A voice of authority reverberated.
"Isn't that the genius fighter Qi Jiguang…?"
"Eh? You're right…! Is he a part of the Mystical Realm Palace now…?"
"Impossible… I heard that guy is a lone wolf."
"But, he's right in front of us…"
The players calmed down as some of them began to whisper among themselves regarding Qi Jiguang's presence.
Izroth knew that things at the Mystical Realm Palace would be a bit chaotic; therefore, he asked Qi Jiguang to maintain order and make sure Aurora's instructions were followed. And, if someone did not listen, he was free to toss them out of the Mystical Realm Palace as he pleased.
As for the shockwave earlier, it came from Qi Jiguang slamming his fists together as a warning.
"I want to personally hunt down those bastards myself, but it will not be too late in the future. Besides, that guy also promised to teach me a new fist technique. If it's him, then it should be well worthwhile." Qi Jiguang internalized.
…
Currently, inside the Secret Realm…
'It should be somewhere around here.'
Izroth traveled forward roughly twenty meters with quickened steps before coming to an abrupt stop.
Seeing that Izroth halted his steps, Sychia stopped at his side and said, "Is this the place you needed to visit?"
Izroth and Sychia arrived a few meters away from the entrance into a cave.
Ultimately, Izroth chose to go in the direction that had two energy signatures. Worst case scenario, he would have to burn through some movement skills to head in the other direction and hope that Sychia was about to keep up.
Still, for some reason, Izroth had a strong feeling that this was the place he was supposed to be. And, that had to do with the ring he obtained from the system after entering this Secret Realm.
'This thing… The closer I moved to this cave, the warmer it feels—as if it was guiding me where to go. Let's hope it's not wrong.'
"We're about to find out," Izroth responded as he walked into the dark cave.
The moment Izroth entered the cave, he received an alert from the system.
