Chapter 269: Chasing The Wrong Targe
Although everyone remained skeptical at the thought of Sage Falls handing over any kind of "donation", there was no way that they would willingly pass up the opportunity that was before them.
A certain look of excitement mixed with impatience could be seen within the eyes of everyone present. They wanted to hurry inside of the Mystical Realm Palace not only for those extraordinary pills they had heard so much about recently, but also for the grand sale! Everyone looked as if they were ready to dash forward at a moment's notice.
There were even some people who removed a mobility potion from their inventory to prepare themselves for the rush. After all, what was one mobility potion compared to a rare item?
"Feel free to enter inside and look around. However, those who wish to cause trouble in my Mystical Realm Palace will no longer be welcomed through its doors. Remember this." Izroth said as he swept his gaze throughout the crowd.
After doing so, he walked back into the Mystical Realm Palace as the transparent barrier that kept others from entering inside had vanished.
At first, everyone was still taken aback by Izroth's words and for some reason, they felt goosebumps form on their skin. However, the instant they saw that barrier drop all other thoughts were pushed to the back of their minds.
"I'm first!" One of the nearby rogue-type classes shouted as he immediately used a mobility potion along with one of his skills that increased his agility. He sprinted forward at full speed, but, he was soon surpassed by a plate user who used Unimpeded Rush to force their way forward!
In just a few moments, complete chaos had formed outside the Mystical Realm Palace with everyone trying to be the first to enter inside the building!
"Move!"
"Get outta the way! Can't you see I was here first?!"
"Haven't you all ever heard of ladies first?!"
"Ladies first? Ha! Don't you know that chivalry is dead?!"
Valkyria shook her head as she observed the players scrambling to get inside the shop. Although she was interested in what kind of rare items they were, Sleeping Gardenia was not so desperate that they needed to resort to such shameless behavior just to obtain a rare item. Now if it was an epic ranked item, that would be a different story.
"Should we try to obtain one of those rare items? After all, I'm sure sir Izroth would be willing to give our Sleeping Gardenia some face with our current connection." One of the members of Sleeping Gardenia said. She and the others present were one of the few who knew the full details of Sleeping Gardenia's relationship with Izroth and the Mystical Realm Palace.
However, Valkyria shook her head in response as she replied, "I'm afraid this isn't possible. We are already indebted to him. How can we ask for a favor until we repay that debt?"
The members of Sleeping Gardenia were surprised by Valkyria's words. They were indebted to Izroth? But was it not the other way around with him being indebted to them?
However, Valkyria had some information that Mariposa only told her and He Huian about privately. That was the fact that Izroth had invited their guild leader out on an SSS-ranked with a piece of epic ranked gear as a reward! She had already been informed of their success almost immediately after its completion.
Their guild now had someone with an epic ranked piece of equipment! This would send countless ripples throughout the other top guilds and shake them to their core. After all, a rare piece of equipment simply could not be compared to one that was epic ranked. The difference between the two was like that of night and day!
While the other members of Sleeping Gardenia were still puzzled by her words, Valkyria was curious about the one topic that seemed to have slipped everyone's mind. The fact that the members of Sage Falls supposedly donated their equipment to the Mystical Realm Palace.
Valkyria was not naive. She understood that someone like Slayer and a guild like Sage Falls was not the type to even remotely consider such a thing. However, she found it difficult to come up with any other explanation. After all, the only way to forcibly take items from someone was through killing them.
Of course, this was not possible considering that they were in a safe zone. That was not all, even if they were not in a safe zone, there were hundreds of Sage Falls members inside of the Mystical Realm Palace. Even if Izroth was strong, facing those kinds of numbers alone would be akin to committing suicide. It just was not possible. But then. what exactly went on in that place?
"We're going inside to take a look." Valkyria said as she walked into the Mystical Realm Palace with the other members of Sleeping Gardenia following behind her. Even though they were unsure of what Valkyria meant by her previous statement, they would not press on for an answer. They understood that she would tell them about it when the time was right.
However, Izroth and everyone else present had no idea just how much this day would forever affect the guilds within RML.
...
Meanwhile, somewhere far away from Amaharpe...
A man carrying a woman was currently moving at an insanely high speed as the man's figure constantly flickered as he moved through a dense forest. With a single step, he would cover a large distance, however, one would find it hard to believe that this was him traveling at a slow pace.
The man's facial complexion was pale and small amounts of blood could be seen dripping from the corner of his mouth as he pushed himself with every step. He did not have time to rest. Also, he felt that if he stopped before he reached his destination, he would lose all of his strength and become immobile.
This man was none other than Gear. Of course, the woman he was carrying along with him was the Seer Tererestiaa.
"You are pushing yourself too hard. If you continue at this pace for much longer, your body will not hold out." Tererestiaa warned Gear. Ever since he had first come to visit her he had not taken a break for a one moment.
Also, there was something else that concerned her. She could see strands of dark corrupted energy flowing up Gear's neck. The wound caused by that creature was beginning to spread and take advantage of Gear's weakened state. However, he did not currently have the strength left to suppress it.
Tererestiaa was also drained of strength after providing Izroth and the others with that holy aura. Since it technically divine energy, even a legendary medicine was unable to restore her missing strength. It was something that had to naturally return to her.
"You worry too much. In that way, you're just like her." Gear said with a slight smile on his face. One could tell that he was in an immense amount of pain and it took a lot of effort just to do something simple like a smile. However, he suppressed that pain and kept moving forward. He was almost to his destination. Once he reached that place, he would not have to worry about the wound spreading.
Tererestiaa had not traveled with Gear for a long time, however, in a short amount of time, she understood just how stubborn he could be. Therefore, she did not continue to pursue the matter.
As Gear's flickering figure moved forward, he suddenly felt a chilling aura spike from behind him. Without hesitating, he immediately shifted his body by kicking off the trunk of one of the nearby trees.
BOOM!
The sudden pressure caused his foot slamming into the colossal tree, that made the ones in the Towering Oak Forest look like mere saplings, resulted in that tree snapping in half like a twig and crashing into the ground taking along a few other colossal trees with it.
Gear moved a few more kilometers before coming to an abrupt halt. The moment he stopped moving he felt like coughing up a large volume of blood, however, he held himself together and suppressed the feeling. He knew that he could not escape from the person who had appeared with his currently weakened state of speed.
If he continued to ignore them, then he would not last long under that person's assault. Therefore, he had to stop and confront this person instead of allowing them to attack him without any retaliation. Not only that, but he was also holding onto Tererestiaa. He could not risk any harm coming to her.
Gear stood on guard as his facial expression darkened and he said, "How much longer do you plan on hiding? If you don't come to me, then I'll just go to you!"
After he said those words, small and delicate laughter echoed throughout the surroundings. A few moments later, a gentle breeze drifted by and in the next moment, someone appeared out of seemingly nowhere.
Gear had a serious expression on his face when he saw the individual who had appeared before him. Of all the people to run into to in his current state, this was by far one of the worse!
"Come now, is that any way to treat an acquaintance?" An enchanting and alluring voice of a woman left the mouth of the figure who appeared. That woman was the same individual who appeared before Grim and Aelaza after the Roaming Village of the Netherworld had been knocked out of its previous location. She was the current leader of the League of The Eidolon, a legendary existence!
"Acquaintance? You sure know how to let your imagination run wild." Gear scoffed. At the moment, he was looking for a way out or any kind of opening to take advantage of, however, there was not a single area to exploit! While that person may appear to be careless, Gear understood that if he made even one reckless move against this individual, it would not be a small price that he paid.
"I have always been quite fond of my creative mind, therefore, I'll take that as a compliment." The woman said as she released a small chuckle and took one step forward.
"What do you intend to do?" Gear spoke in a tone that held a hint of hostility. There was a sharp glare that flashed within his eyes that showed he was not prepared to go down without a fight.
"That depends on your willingness to cooperate. You should know how much I despise those who deny me. If you hand over that item you have with you, then I will be on my way." The woman said.
Gear heart sunk when he heard those words. How could she possibly know about that item?! Including himself, there were only five people who knew of its existence, one of which had already passed on from this world. However, he knew that there was no one who would dare divulge such sensitive information to someone like the woman before him.
"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about." Gear responded with a cold look in his eyes. If she knew that he had that item from the Dragon King's Palace on him, then there was no possible way that she would let him go free. He would have no choice but to fight.
The woman could not help but chuckle when she witnessed Gear's reaction.
"Feigning ignorance will not help you. You may have hidden its energy well, but you were careless. Even from a far away distance, I sensed the overflowing natural energy being released from the same location as the underground chambers. You just happened to be coming from its direction and expect me to believe that you do not have that item in your possession?" The woman said.
She then continued, "But, if you insist on playing coy when it comes to the matter at hand, then I suppose I will have to be a little forceful."
Overflowing natural energy? Underground chambers? It suddenly dawned on Gear. Thankfully, she was not referring to the item from the Dragon King's Palace, but rather, the item that was currently within that young man's Izroth possession! After all, that item was tempting even for a legendary existence!
Given his strength and the fact that he was there, she must have believed that he was the one who had obtained that item and chased after him! However, she had no idea what she was actually chasing the wrong target!