After more than two hours, Elena finally emerged from the "Dark Guild," her expression a strange blend of excitement, worry, and confusion, leaving one completely unable to decipher what Zhong Shenxiu had told her!
One thing, however, could be surmised: the two had reached some form of agreement, likely one that was mutually beneficial. Of course, it was undeniable that this agreement surely contained many unequal clauses, but they were probably within the scope of what Elena could tolerate!
Zhong Shenxiu had agreed to teach her "Lightning Magic," and her brother could also attend the same class as Zhong Shenxiu. This was the most joyous news for Elena! As for the stringent terms Zhong Shenxiu had proposed, she could only take things one step at a time; after all, they couldn't really do anything too terrible to her!
Thus, over the following few days, Elena visited the "Dark Guild" every few days. No one knew what she was doing there—perhaps receiving secret training from Zhong Shenxiu, or maybe engaging in some form of hard labor!
By this time, the "Dark Guild" had settled into a proper routine. Zhong Shenxiu now rarely concerned himself with the guild's affairs, focusing instead on researching the two major fields of knowledge: "Spatial Magic" and the "Heavenly Thunder Art"!
The last time, he had almost succeeded in retrieving items stored within his "Qiankun Domain." This indicated, firstly, that his comprehension of "Space" was deepening, and secondly, it underscored the importance of researching "Spatial Magic."
As he studied, Zhong Shenxiu's mastery of spatial magic grew more refined. His current specialty was "Spatial Teleportation"; anywhere within a twenty-kilometer radius, he could instantly arrive with an accuracy deviation of absolutely no more than three centimeters!
If used alone, this "Spatial Teleportation" might not seem like much, but when combined with mental waves, it became truly formidable. Essentially, with just a thought from Zhong Shenxiu, he could reach his desired location, completely unhindered by any physical obstacles!
As for the "Heavenly Thunder Art," Zhong Shenxiu had now cultivated it to the fifth level.
He had already decided that he would not seek further advancement in the short term!
It must be said that these past few days had utterly exhausted Keni. She was constantly busy managing the "Dark Guild," having to handle not only the internal staff but also the continuous stream of important figures seeking audiences. These visitors included members of the Five Great Families, and even members of the Royal Family had made calls!
Fortunately, Keni was exceptionally astute and handled every situation flawlessly; otherwise, the "Dark Guild" would certainly have encountered some serious trouble!
Currently, the Five Great Families and even the high-ranking royal officials were extremely wary of the "Dark Guild." Although they were furious that they couldn't siphon off any benefits from the guild, they dared not make any rash moves because they couldn't fathom the true nature of the hidden power backing the "Dark Guild."
However, one thing was certain: for the "Dark Guild" to rise so rapidly and achieve preeminence in such a short time, the force behind it had to be extraordinary!
Today, Zhong Shenxiu once again took Robin out for a stroll, deciding that occasional relaxation was beneficial. It might even stimulate inspiration, perhaps even leading to the reappearance of those two illusions!
The streets of "Dream Night City" during the day appeared quite deserted. Aside from the passing pedestrians, there were no vendors setting up stalls!
Perhaps due to the influence of the "Dark Guild," many shops dealing in magic equipment had closed down, with signs reading "Shop for Rent" posted on their doors!
Zhong Shenxiu and Robin walked aimlessly, occasionally stopping to look inside shops that caught their interest, and even purchasing items if they found something they liked!
The path they were currently traversing was one they had never taken before. Unconsciously, they noticed the density of people increasing, and based on their attire, they appeared to be mercenaries!
Could there be a "Mercenary Association" ahead?
Zhong Shenxiu grew intrigued, eager to see what this "Mercenary Association" was all about!
He had once heard Charlotte mention mercenaries and possessed some basic knowledge, though nothing detailed!
As they continued walking, they soon spotted a magnificent building not far ahead. Prominently displayed in an eye-catching location were the four large characters: "Mercenary Association"! At that moment, quite a few mercenaries were coming and going!
"Ah, it really is you!"
Just as Zhong Shenxiu and Robin were about to enter, a sharp female voice drifted over, sounding extremely surprised!
Zhong Shenxiu turned around and saw a young woman walking toward them with an expression of utter astonishment.
Zhong Shenxiu recognized this woman; he had met her once before. It was Lisa, the one who had bought roasted sweet potatoes from him—if he recalled correctly, she was the Vice-Captain of the "Cross Sword Mercenary Group"!
He truly hadn't expected to run into her here. Zhong Shenxiu remembered that he had charged her one Gold Coin just for letting her glance at his map!
"It really is you two! Wh-what are you doing here?" Lisa asked in shock. She had a vivid memory of these two children, especially their profound mystery, which she couldn't shake!
Zhong Shenxiu observed her for a few moments, said nothing, and continued walking toward the "Mercenary Association"!
"Don't you recognize me?" Lisa hurried after him. "I even bought a sweet potato from you back then!"
The mention of "sweet potato" seemed to make Lisa’s mouth water again. That taste was simply too unique, too delicious! Although one sweet potato for a Gold Coin was somewhat expensive, it was worth every bit!
However, her reminder failed to halt Zhong Shenxiu, who proceeded inside as if he hadn't heard her!
Lisa wasn't angry. Instead, she quickened her pace and caught up to Zhong Shenxiu again, asking, "By the way, do you have any sweet potatoes left? Sell me a few more!"
"No!" Zhong Shenxiu replied without looking back.
"Even if we did, we wouldn't sell them!" Robin chimed in, looking endearingly cute!
Uh!
Lisa hadn't anticipated that these two children would still possess such eccentric temperaments, showing no hint of sentimentality, despite having met once before!
Upon entering the "Mercenary Association," they discovered it was far more spacious than anticipated. Quite a number of mercenaries were gathered inside. Some were examining newly posted missions, others were completing task handovers, and some were clustered together discussing various matters!
Zhong Shenxiu observed his surroundings with curiosity; he had no specific agenda for visiting, just wanting to look around.
"Hey, are you two here to post a mission?" Lisa was still persistently following Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, making one wonder why she had so much free time!
It turned out that Lisa's "Cross Sword Mercenary Group" had just finished a somewhat challenging mission, and the entire group was currently on vacation. She, being unable to sit still, decided to visit the "Mercenary Association" to check things out.
The "Mercenary Association" was a place where all sorts of people converged. These mercenaries came from diverse regions, and the strange tales and anecdotes they had experienced or heard were vastly different. Consequently, one could gather a wealth of interesting news here!
Zhong Shenxiu still ignored Lisa, currently focusing on listening to the conversations of other mercenaries. Several topics piqued his interest, such as the "Dragon Slaying Treasure Hunt Mercenary Ranking Battle," and so on!
Charlotte had never mentioned these things before; this was the first time Zhong Shenxiu was hearing about them. Especially the way these people described dragons—how immensely powerful and ferocious they were—this only heightened his interest!
Could this so-called "Dragon" truly be that strong?
Zhong Shenxiu genuinely wished for an encounter. Since arriving in this world, he hadn't found anyone who could match him. Defeating opponents in battle was always effortlessly achieved, leaving him with no sense of exhilaration!
If possible, Zhong Shenxiu truly wanted to fight someone incredibly powerful—even someone only slightly stronger would do, as long as they didn't collapse in a single move!
And the "Dragon" they were discussing had unknowingly become the object of Zhong Shenxiu's desire! Alas, poor dragon, quickly start praying you never cross paths with Zhong Shenxiu!
Just as Zhong Shenxiu was listening with keen interest, a booming voice suddenly cut through the air, immediately silencing the conversationalists!
"Hey, I recently acquired a strange item. Anyone here want to trade for it?"
Everyone turned their gaze to see a giant man, nearly eight feet tall, holding something aloft.
The object in his hand wasn't large, perhaps only about a foot long. It was covered in bumps, extremely ugly, and entirely dark green, immediately bringing to mind some sort of extraterrestrial creature upon sight!
But this item was clearly dead, and no one could tell what material it was made of!
After a moment of stunned silence, everyone burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! What is this thing? It’s so ugly, yet you dare bring it out!"
"I'm going to gag! I just finished dinner!"
"If this thing qualifies for a trade, I'll just pick up some trash tomorrow and bring it out!"
The people saying this were all well acquainted with the giant, so their comments were largely intended to mock him!
The giant's face flushed slightly. He had only been asking around. He thought the item was strange; it didn't feel like much when held initially, but holding it too long caused a chill to emanate from it, as if something inside was struggling to emerge!
He figured that such an oddity might be something valuable, so he brought it out to see if anyone recognized it. To his dismay, everyone reacted the same way!
"Yahan, why are you still keeping this? If it were me, I would have thrown it away long ago. Smell it—it even has a foul, rotten odor. This thing is absolutely nauseating!"
"I think Yahan must have had too much to drink today, hehe!"
Immediately following this, the crowd erupted in another round of boisterous laughter! Not only them, but even Lisa, standing next to Zhong Shenxiu, was shaking with amusement at the giant's clumsy demeanor!
However, none of them noticed that when Zhong Shenxiu saw the object in the giant's hand, his eyes suddenly shone with an extraordinary light—a light of shock, extreme shock!
In that instant, a name flashed through Zhong Shenxiu's mind: "Ghostwood Nail"!
Following it came detailed information about this "Ghostwood Nail"!
At that moment, Zhong Shenxiu nearly rushed forward to snatch it in his excitement. This "Ghostwood Nail" had an extraordinary provenance. Despite its unremarkable appearance, it was a material used to forge peerless Ghost Path artifacts. If refined correctly, its power would be no less than Zhong Shenxiu's own superior artifacts!
This type of "Ghostwood Nail" was a unique plant entity, rumored to undergo a metamorphosis only once every century, growing slightly larger with each transformation. The one in the giant's hand, the "Ghostwood Nail," must have undergone at least ten thousand years of metamorphosis to reach that size!
Before transmigrating to this world, Zhong Shenxiu only knew of the existence of the "Ghostwood Nail" but had never seen one in person. Among the collection of "Treasures and Rarities He Most Desired," it ranked near the top, indicating the immense attraction it held for him!
It was laughable that these short-sighted people couldn't recognize this item and even mocked the giant—they had perfectly embodied the essence of "ignorance"!
The giant, unable to endure the surrounding ridicule, and egged on by the crowd, actually tossed the object into a nearby trash receptacle!
"Yahan, that's better. Don't bring things like this into the 'Mercenary Association' again. You're making all of us lose face!"
"Throwing this here isn't the solution either; the odor drifting out is making people sick. I think we should have the cleaner dispose of it quickly!"
These people began chattering incessantly. It seemed they wouldn't stop until this "Ghostwood Nail" was destroyed!
At this point, Lisa might have finished laughing. She looked back down at Zhong Shenxiu and asked, "You still haven't answered my question. Are you here to post a mission?"
However, to her surprise, Zhong Shenxiu was staring intently at the trash can, as if that bin were more captivating than she was!
Just then, Zhong Shenxiu gave Robin a subtle signal. Robin understood immediately and walked directly toward the trash can!
The crowd had still been laughing amongst themselves, but when they saw the approaching Robin, they paused in confusion—what was this little girl doing?
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, Robin reached her delicate, fair hand into the pile of refuse and, with just one touch, grasped the "Ghostwood Nail"!
When everyone saw Robin actually pulling the grotesque object out of the trash can, they were utterly stunned. They thought, Does this little girl have a screw loose? She looks so delicate, why would she do something like this?
What does she want with this thing? Is she trying to scare people?
Heaven forbid she intends to use this as a toy!
All sorts of strange thoughts began flashing through their minds, particularly those of the giant named Yahan. He couldn't comprehend why someone would pick up something he had thrown into the trash, especially since it wasn't valuable—it would only bring ridicule!
As Yahan looked at Robin in confusion, Robin suddenly lifted her head, looked directly at him, and then asked a very serious, very earnest question:
"Are there any more???"
At that moment, the crowd nearly fainted collectively!