Liora and Luna had arrived back at their inn. They had to use some time to clean themselves to get rid of some blood smell before meeting their master.
Lucius was sitting by the small table in the room, sipping his tea, turning to his maids that had just returned from their mission.
Lucius put down his cup and smiled. "You're back. Did you get the things that I want and also did you make sure that you get good prices for those beasts?"
Luna stepped forward and gave him the spatial ring. "Everything you requested, Master. The beast rings, and the beast coins from the sale of the evolved beasts—all accounted for."
Lucius smiled as he looked at the contents of the spatial ring. He was satisfied with it and immediately put the beast rings and the beast coins inside his Eternal Vault.
Luna then suddenly stepped forward and asked Lucius something that she was curious about. "Master, why did you have us buy so many high-end, spacious 3-Star Beast Rings? They are not usually needed in such quantities."
Lucius glanced at Luna, leaning back in his chair, before answering, "You will know soon enough. Let's just say... these rings will play a crucial role in what's to come and it will benefit you too."
Luna only smiled, although she was still curious about it, but Lucius was her master, so she could only stop asking, "I see. They are part of a bigger plan. I will wait to see what it is then, master."
Lucius smiled as Luna didn't ask much about it, but suddenly Liora stepped forward and glanced at Lucius. "Master, there's something else you need to know. We were attacked on our way back."
Lucius was surprised. He turned to Liora, frowning and asking her. "Attacked? Who the hell dared to attack you? Didn't they know who I am?"
Liora only replied, "Mercenaries. They were waiting for us, likely sent by someone who wants us dead and they said that we have been made to be wanted criminals in this city and a big target for mercenaries."
Lucius was silent for a moment to process it. He frowned first, but then he began to smirk as he knew what the enemy wanted to do.
He leaned forward and said, "I see... so that's how they want to play. Not only did they dare to tamper with my mission but also made us targets in this city."
Lucius stood and wore his coat. "Let them think they've gained the upper hand. We'll use their arrogance against them. But for now, we have a mission to complete."
He turned to Liora and reminded her, "Liora, ensure you're fully prepared. Your strength will be crucial in Wind Valley, especially with the dangers we'll face there."
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He turned to Liora, his sharp gaze meeting her golden eyes. "Liora, ensure you're fully prepared. Your strength will be crucial in Wind Valley, especially with the dangers we'll face there."
Liora nodded and bared her claws. "Of course, Master. You can count on me and I will make sure no beasts or even mercenaries lay a hand on you."
Lucius smiled and shifted his gaze to Luna. "Luna, I will need you to keep an eye out for any traps and ambushes. If our enemies make a move, I want them dealt with swiftly and ruthlessly."
Luna nodded as she smirked. "Understood, Master. I will make sure that our journey will be smooth. I will let them know who they are messing with."
Lucius smiled and said, "Good. The sun is setting, and it's time for us to move. Gather the supplies and prepare the beasts. Wind Valley awaits."
As Liora and Lina moved to gather their gear, Lucius began to calculate every possible scenario that his enemies might make, but he made sure that he won in every scenario, and it made him excited for the real thing.
---
The mercenaries had brought the corpses of the group that were killed by Liora and Luna to their base, which was a dimly lit warehouse.
The mercenary boss stood and looked at the corpses that were killed gruesomely, making their deaths so agonizing. Because of it, the boss became angry and clenched his fists.
The boss gestured toward the bodies and shouted in rage. "Who did this? Broken limbs, precise cuts, and injuries meant to make them die slowly. This wasn't a fight—it was torture."
The mercenaries were quite nervous and one of them stepped forward and reported, "We don't know, boss. We found them like this, already dead."
The boss glanced at the man and shouted, "You mean to tell me that someone tore through my men, left them to die in agony, and none of you know who did it?"
The mercenary flinched as he trembled, trying to think of something and soon he remembered and said, "I-It's true, boss. B-But we overheard... something."
The boss took a step forward and looked straight at the man. "Speak, what did you overhear? Who the hell they targeted to make them like this?"
The mercenary was a bit nervous as he answered, "They... they said they'd spotted the new wanted guys earlier. They thought they were weak but valuable—probably worth a lot of coin."
The boss was shocked hearing it and immediately gestured toward the corpses. "Weak but valuable? Does this look like the work of someone weak to you?"
The other mercenaries didn't dare to answer and the boss spat out in anger. "Idiots. They underestimated their targets and paid the price. That's what happens when you think with your greed instead of your brain."
The boss then turned to another mercenary who was quite a veteran and asked him. "Tell me, where are these 'new targets' now?"
The veteran looked at his boss and answered. "We have word from one of our informants, boss. They've left the city and are heading toward Wind Valley."
The boss grinned and started to crack his knuckles. He then took his coat and said, "Wind Valley, huh? Perfect. That's where we'll strike."
One of the younger mercenaries immediately spoke out, as he was a bit hesitant. "But boss, if they're strong enough to take out our guys like this, shouldn't we—"
The boss cut him off with a glare. "Shouldn't we what? Run? Hide? Let them get away after what they did to our men?"
He then took a step closer and glanced at the man, forcing him to shrink back. "No. We're mercenaries. We don't back down. We don't let anyone think they can cross us and walk away."
The boss began to remind them what those targets had done. "They dared to torture and kill my subordinates. They dared to humiliate us. And now, they're walking away like it's nothing."
The boss turned his face to his men and said, "We'll show them what happens when you mess with us. We'll make them suffer like they made our men suffer and take their bounty to make a fortune."
He then shouted at them. "Prepare the beasts and weapons. We leave immediately. We don't have much time left, as they were quite far now."
The mercenaries immediately scrambled to gather their gear and prepare themselves for the hunt, trying to get revenge on their fallen comrades.
The boss also looked at the corpses before going out and said, "Whoever you are, you've made a grave mistake. Wind Valley will be your grave."
With that, he and his men rushed out of the warehouse with the purpose of exacting his fallen comrades' vengeance, and finally, the hunt was on.