The entire hall fell utterly silent, so quiet one could hear the sound of their own breathing. Every eye was fixed on Robin with a strange gaze—a look that seemed to question, yet also marvel.

Those three demonic beasts that had just driven them to the brink of despair had, in the blink of an eye, lost the capacity to fight. This blow to their morale was undeniably significant.

As everyone stood dumbfounded, Robin once again executed the "Ten Fingers Binding Lock," flicking his wrist and surprisingly yanking the three beasts out into the open.

It had to be said, these demonic beasts possessed incredible resilience; despite the massive impact to their heads, they were only slightly dazed and had not been killed.

Robin's eyes locked onto the three creatures, his expression seemingly asking, Still want to bite me?

If these beasts could speak, they would surely have bowed their heads in apology to Robin, swearing never to dare such a thing again!

Seeing that the beasts had quieted down, Robin promptly collected them back into his storage bracelet. This action sent another wave of shock through the assembled mercenaries.

This brief interlude passed, and the mercenaries dared not cause any more trouble. The injured were being tended to by the mage, leaving the entire hall steeped in an indescribable oppression.

The food was ready, and Angeliya and the others gathered to enjoy it heartily, while the surrounding mercenaries could only watch with watering mouths and wide eyes.

"Hey, kid!" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly beckoned to Frank.

Frank walked over suspiciously and asked, "What is it?"

Though he spoke the question, his eyes immediately darted toward the food. The sight of it only made his stomach rumble like a war drum.

"Hungry?" Zhong Shenxiu lifted a portion of the food, a faint smile playing on his lips.

What? Frank thought he must have misheard. What did he mean? Was he actually planning to share some of the food with them?

Suppressing the intense excitement churning within him, Frank nodded. He realized this young boy wasn't as severe as he had imagined.

However, the next sentence from Zhong Shenxiu made him acutely aware of how terribly wrong that assumption was!

"If you want some, you need to trade for it!" Zhong Shenxiu finished speaking, took a bite of the food, and deliberately made a sound—a classic move to lure his prey.

Although Zhong Shenxiu couldn't scan the contents of their magic rings, he knew these people certainly carried valuable items. This ancient tomb was perilous, but undeniably, it held many treasures. Since these mercenaries had been here so long, they must have made some gains.

After a moment of stupefaction, Frank recovered. He quickly retrieved a bag of money from his magic ring and held it out toward Zhong Shenxiu. "See if this is enough for the meal!"

At this moment, preserving his life was paramount. And the prerequisite for staying alive was filling his belly first!

Besides, he no longer cared much for this small amount of money. His magic ring contained numerous artifacts collected from this place; just selling one or two upon leaving alive would secure him a life of comfort.

Yet, to his utter astonishment, Zhong Shenxiu didn't even glance at the money pouch. Instead, he said, "I'm not interested in money. Bring me something else to trade."

Although Zhong Shenxiu knew these people possessed good things, he would not abuse his strength or engage in outright robbery. He would acquire what he wanted through his own methods!

Uh!

Half of Frank's body stiffened, and the hand holding out the money remained suspended in the air for a long time.

"What do you want?" Frank asked, his eyes flicking back to the food.

"What did you obtain from this tomb?" Zhong Shenxiu narrowed his eyes to slits, giving him the look of a cunning schemer.

Frank's body trembled. He hadn't expected this young boy to set his sights on him. What should he do—refuse or accept?

After considerable hesitation, Frank finally succumbed to the temptation of the food. He retrieved an item from his magic ring and asked, "How about this?"

He presented something about five inches long, entirely ash-white, covered in countless tiny specks that looked less like natural formations and more like deliberate markings. Its purpose remained a mystery.

This was the item Frank considered the least valuable among his finds, hoping to exchange it for a bit of sustenance.

Zhong Shenxiu, however, was an expert judge of artifacts. While he couldn't immediately ascertain the object's function, he knew it possessed immense hidden value that would require careful study.

Despite the fierce excitement brewing inside, Zhong Shenxiu maintained a calm exterior, asking lightly, "Is that all?"

"I don't need much food; just a small portion will do!" Seeing Zhong Shenxiu appear uninterested, Frank grew anxious. He wasn't aiming for a full meal now, just enough energy to keep him from starving to death.

Zhong Shenxiu reluctantly nodded and signaled to Robin. Having cooperated with Robin for so long, Robin knew exactly what he meant. He walked over, first placing Frank's item into the storage bracelet before bringing him a plate of food.

Frank made no ceremony of it, taking the plate and devouring the contents ravenously. He hadn't realized until that moment what true culinary delight felt like!

Although the portion on one plate wasn't small, it was far from enough for the sturdy man. He was barely satisfied and stared at the food belonging to Zhong Shenxiu and his companions with lingering hunger.

"Want to trade again?" Zhong Shenxiu watched Frank with a smile, the expression of a shrewd merchant.

Frank was like a man addicted to a potent drug. He gritted his teeth and produced another item from his magic ring. This pattern repeated four times before Frank was finally full. To his surprise, after eating, his spirit felt lifted, and his body no longer carried the extreme fatigue it had before.

He didn't feel cheated for trading four treasures for one full meal; rather, he felt the exchange was worthwhile. On the precipice of death, wealth and treasures became utterly secondary—no matter their worth, one needed life to enjoy them!

In this tomb, treasures could be found again, but food, once consumed, was gone forever!

"Um... I have things too. Could you see if you can trade me some food for them?" At this moment, someone actually stepped forward, holding out treasures to exchange.

They were starving. While they still had some food stored in their magic rings, the quantity wasn't enough for even one decent meal. This opportunity was too good to miss; otherwise, they would regret it later!

Having survived this long, these mercenaries had learned a crucial lesson: as long as they lived, they could possess anything; but if they died, everything they owned amounted to nothing.

With one person taking the lead, others immediately followed suit. Soon, the entire hall erupted in noise again.

"I have treasures too! I want to trade!"

"Me too! Me too!"

"I'll trade all of these treasures!"

The mercenaries scrambled, afraid that if they were slow, the food would run out!

This turn of events delighted Zhong Shenxiu. They had more than enough food; calculating the provisions stored in Kaina's bracelet, it was enough to sustain everyone present for twenty years!

Before long, all the food Angeliya and the others had prepared was snatched up.

"Girls, go make some more!" Zhong Shenxiu instructed Angeliya and the others while collecting the treasures offered by the mercenaries.

When Angeliya and her group finished cooking the next batch, it was instantly snatched away again. Everyone was now desperate; even those who were satiated scrambled for more, knowing they could save it for later.

Finally, it became clear that cooking the food before exchanging was too slow. Zhong Shenxiu decided to trade raw ingredients, offering larger quantities as compensation.

The people were so desperate they would accept anything; raw or cooked, as long as it was food. They could cook it themselves.

The battle for food finally concluded. Every mercenary managed to trade for a decent supply, enough to last them another half a month if they rationed carefully.

Not all the mercenaries traded away every single treasure, though. Some kept their absolute most precious artifacts—the guaranteed means to enjoy luxury and prosperity once they left this place.

After resting for a while longer, Zhong Shenxiu and his group finally decided to move on. Many more treasures awaited them ahead; they couldn't afford to waste time here.

"Old man, come here!" Zhong Shenxiu beckoned to Harimanfu.

Harimanfu approached. Though he spoke no words, his expression was rife with inquiry.

"Old man, do you want to come with us? We can take you out of here!" Zhong Shenxiu stated casually, though the smile on his lips made the offer hard to dismiss.

"You will take me out of here?" Harimanfu’s body trembled, and he quickly added, "I am willing to follow you!"

The other mercenaries immediately perked up when they heard Zhong Shenxiu mention leaving.

They had all recognized the mystery surrounding the "Ethereal Mercenary Group," especially after witnessing Robin's power moments ago. They now understood that escaping this place depended entirely on sticking with the Ethereal Mercenary Group; otherwise, they wouldn't last more than a few days.

"We can take you, but there are conditions!" Zhong Shenxiu drawled lazily. It seemed this sentence was his true objective.

"W-what conditions?" Harimanfu started, surprised that Zhong Shenxiu was imposing terms. Hadn't the task simply been to escort him out?

"All the treasures you possess must belong to the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group' as payment for our protection and care! Furthermore, you are forbidden from touching any treasure we encounter on the road ahead; those belong exclusively to the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group.'"

As Zhong Shenxiu continued speaking, Harimanfu's eyes widened.

Heavens! What kind of overbearing contract was this?