On the second floor of the inn, Thoren stood quietly beside the window while processing everything he had just learned from Solenne.
The situation within the bloody crimson dunes was far more complicated than ordinary humans could comprehend.
Although the Crimson Arc Guild stood on the more righteous side of the conflict, that did not an they remained completely clean.
Everyone knew the Slave Trade Guild was evil, yet many awakeners and guilds were still forced to cooperate with them in order to progress through their trials.
Out of all the organizations within the Bleeding Desert, the Slave Trade Guild appeared to possess the greatest influence.
Even against the terrifying Scorpion Clan, rumors claid the Slave Trade Guild possessed thods capable of easing the hostility between awakeners and the Scorpion Beastn, provided the price offered was sufficient.
That alone explained why the Slave Trade Guild continued growing stronger every single day.
Awakeners who had already been pushed to the brink of despair were often left with only two choices.
Either they joined the guild willingly, or they accepted missions on the guild’s behalf.
"Ah..."
Thoren rubbed the back of his head while releasing an exaggerated sigh.
"Who would have thought the Slave Trade Guild was entangled with so many powerful forces?" he muttered softly.
"This situation is going to beco slightly troubleso."
If Solenne had heard those words, she might have coughed blood from frustration.
Everyone within the Bleeding Desert feared provoking the Slave Trade Guild. Yet, to Thoren, the situation rely qualified as slightly troubleso.
Many people would probably call him foolish or accuse him of overestimating his strength. However, anyone who truly knew the Grim Reaper understood one thing clearly.
He never bluffed.
"Forget it," Thoren whispered while shaking his head lightly. "There is no point thinking too deeply about it right now."
He slowly shifted his gaze away from the bustling street below the inn.
"I need a cold bath," he muttered.
Imdiately, he opened the Abyssal Market interface before him.
"Let see how much a ton of water costs along with a few other things."
Since he possessed access to the Abyssal Market, there was no reason to limit himself to weapons alone. He could finally enjoy certain luxuries despite living within this barren desert world.
To Thoren’s surprise, a full ton of water only cost ten silver coins.
Although most awakeners would consider such a price expensive, to him it felt incredibly cheap. Without hesitation, he quickly purchased the water along with several other necessities.
Soap.
Shampoo.
Fresh bed sheets.
Clean clothing.
As he browsed through the endless products available within the Abyssal Market, he slowly realized sothing astonishing.
The market truly contained almost everything imaginable. As long as soone searched carefully enough, they could find nearly anything.
His gaze eventually landed on the rough wooden bed inside the inn room. The bed was covered in beast fur while the wooden fra creaked faintly whenever touched.
Thoren stared at it for several monts before shaking his head in dissatisfaction.
"I am done sleeping on wood and beast fur," he whispered firmly.
Without hesitation, he purchased one of the most expensive beds available within the market. Looking at the luxurious bed now resting inside his inventory, a rare grin appeared across his face.
"Now this," he muttered proudly, "is what it ans to possess the Abyssal Market."
With everything prepared, Thoren imdiately headed toward the bathroom.
The inn’s bathroom mostly existed for appearance alone.
Very few people within the Bleeding Desert possessed enough water to waste on regular baths.
However, today was different.
For the next thirty minutes, Thoren enjoyed a long and satisfying bath.
Cold water washed across his skin while the dirt and dried blood that splattered on his body in the previous battle disappeared completely.
For once, he relaxed fully while enjoying the rare comfort. The tension within his body gradually faded away.
By the ti he finally finished bathing, the room itself already felt much more pleasant.
****
anwhile, inside the office of the Crimson Arc Guild Master, Solenne sat behind her desk while staring coldly at Orric.
"Do you understand who exactly you brought into our guild headquarters?" she asked flatly.
Orric forcefully swallowed the lump stuck within his throat. Thoren might remain completely unaffected by Solenne’s terrifying presence, but ordinary people absolutely could not.
At this mont, Orric, a proud berserker, was practically trembling while seated before her.
It required every ounce of his willpower rely to maintain eye contact. Everyone within the guild knew exactly how cold and ruthless their guild master could beco.
She constantly increased their training intensity until many mbers barely found enough ti to rest properly.
Behind her back, countless guild mbers secretly referred to her as the Vampire Queen because she seed to enjoy watching her subordinates suffer endlessly during training.
Now, Orric sat directly before the Vampire Queen herself.
Her sharp eyes bored deeply into him like icy blades capable of peeling flesh apart.
He swallowed once more.
He tried opening his mouth several tis, yet speaking felt unbelievably difficult.
Watching Orric’s terrified appearance, Solenne’s expression remained completely unchanged.
"Starting today, your mission is to keep an eye on him," she said solemnly.
"Observe him carefully and ensure none of our guild mbers provoke him unnecessarily."
"Also, if you notice another guild attempting to target him, report it to imdiately."
"Do you understand?"
"Y-Yes," Orric answered rapidly while nodding like a bird pecking grain.
"You are dismissed."
She casually waved her hand.
Orric imdiately sprang from his seat before rushing out of the office as though escaping death itself.
Once outside the room, he released a long trembling sigh of relief.
"I would rather fight Kiera for ten rounds than sit before the Vampire Queen again," he muttered weakly.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead before quickly leaving the corridor behind.
****
Back inside the inn, Thoren now sat comfortably beside the open window while enjoying the hot desert breeze against his freshly cleaned skin.
"This feels much better," he whispered softly before taking a sip from the cup of wine resting in his left hand.
Monts like this were incredibly rare within the Abyss. For once, he wanted to enjoy the peace quietly while planning his next move carefully.
The warm desert wind brushed gently against his silver hair while distant voices echoed faintly from the busy streets below.
For several peaceful minutes, everything remained calm. Then suddenly, Thoren’s brows slowly creased into a deep frown.
His sharp gaze locked onto a young woman walking casually among the crowded street below. The mont he saw her figure clearly; a strange feeling imdiately rose within his chest.
"Why do I suddenly have such a bad feeling?" he thought silently.
His instincts imdiately beca alert.
The young woman continued walking calmly through the crowd while her hood partially covered her face.
However, despite the distance separating them, Thoren instinctively recognized her.
At first, he hoped he was rely mistaken.
Unfortunately, reality quickly crushed that hope.
As if sensing his gaze directly upon her, the young woman suddenly stopped walking.
Slowly, she raised her head upward toward the inn window.
Their eyes t instantly.
Thoren’s expression stiffened slightly.
For several seconds, both remained completely frozen.
"Cressida..."
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