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Chapter 608: Catching Up

"Shut up..." Alice spat through gritted teeth. Nausea continued to grip her, and her wobbly posture betrayed how much difficulty she faced.

Altair\'s reaction was milder than the others, coming out of his episodes of spasms and seizing up with little to no disturbance by controlling how he breathed.

That didn\'t mean he didn\'t feel just as disgruntled and off-kilter as the others. The look he gave Kieran was conflicted, filled with respect, pity, and commiseration.

"You shouldered so much burden in your Trial, but I understand why you were challenged that way. Ah, just remember you aren\'t alone, though," Altair reminded.

Kieran nodded, stealthily putting his top back on, though it didn\'t change much appearance- wise. All it did was add ivory-white ribs sharp as blades, thick silver-white fur over his shoulders, and modest leather hide in places it saw fit.

After finding her bearings, Ezra looked at Kieran with flashes of sorrow darkening her expression.

"So many children dead. Such a tragic story. And how your heart bled for them at every turn... I felt it," she sighed, shaking her head with an echo of Kieran\'s grief and anguish.

"It really was an unfortunate situation. It was you or them, and you didn\'t have much choice," Lux added. He contributed to the poignant atmosphere in the room. "If I were faced with similar predicaments... I think I\'d do all I could to survive."

Kieran\'s mind flashed back to the children slain in the Pit of Culling, and it was just as vivid and heartrending as the first go around. No, it felt even worse for him.

During the Trial, he was fueled by rage, pain, and a conviction to survive. Without those emotions muddying his clarity, Kieran could see the number of emotions glimmering, burning, and fading in their eyes.

If he wanted, he could pick them apart and identify each one. But he didn\'t. He didn\'t have the heart to desecrate their memory in his mind.

\'I was supposed to be your salvation, but in the end... I failed you. And for that, I\'m sorry. I couldn\'t fulfill my promise.\'

Kieran closed his eyes and suppressed his turbulent emotions, burying the storm beneath a layer of calm. When he opened his eyes, all hints of his former pain and feelings of empathy vanished.

"It was a story of suffering and misfortune, but that shouldn\'t be our concern. Our concern should be on the guild and the world around us."

Kieran reclaimed his seat at the head of the table, tapping his fingers against the table. "High on our list is our urgent need for information. For starters, Aeredale City - why has it recently entered a bustling state? What have I missed?"

Alice took her seat, exhaling heavily before raising a finger. "I can answer that for you - migration. An exodus of players in other Lands has occurred, choosing Nelorias as the homeland. They\'re under the illusion that being here will lead to abundant opportunities previously kept from them."

"Hm," Kieran hummed. "Feels acceptable, but nameless players wouldn\'t have that effect."

Alice agreed. "And you\'re correct. This is the result of other guilds migrating to these Lands. With their arrival comes a dire need for an increased output of equipment, rations, and potions. All of these markets have exploded recently."

It was a logical explanation as to why Aeredale City experienced a boon, but Kieran didn\'t know if the players were solely responsible for this. He recalled the quest he completed for Mayor Lowe, where Dusvim - the Desertborn Brigands leader - had exposed another entity\'s machinations.

There could be other forces at play that the others weren\'t aware of.

"Is that fact-checked information?" Kieran asked.

"It is," Alice nodded. "Many players are updating their location in real-time, and an excess of information is being passed around on the forum."

"What about the economy? What has that become?"

Ezra stepped in once Alice struggled to answer.

"The economy has stabilized momentarily, but there is an increasing number of player- owned shops appearing. As you can imagine, they belong to... the Behemoths, one being Apocalypse."

Kieran noted Ezra\'s grim emphasis on that particular guild. Their reputation was far from stellar, and he soured the relationship prematurely, possibly shredding any chance of partnering with the Behemoth.

Not that Kieran wanted to. There were a number of organizations that steered clear of Apocalypse and the heinous rumors attached to its name.

"Should we be worried about them?"

"Well," Ezra grimaced. Then, she sighed. "If we take into account how you royally screwed them over and pretty much extorted them... I\'d say yes. They\'ve made it their business to throw around their weight."

Kieran\'s expression gradually changed, as did his posture, radiating the intrigue he felt.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"How are they throwing their weight around?"

"As you would expect... financially. Not only have they taken up root in our city despite the variety available to all, but they\'re also intentionally increasing the market price of crafting materials."

Kieran grunted.

It wasn\'t anything he hadn\'t heard of before. Their tactics were too textbook, and they clearly wanted to bleed Sanguis Requiem dry until it hemorrhaged funds, which meant rumors of its finances had likely gotten out.

Or, even if those rumors hadn\'t gotten out, it was a tactic most sharks employed. Bloody the water and watch all the predators approach.

Kieran closed his eyes, massaging his temples as he compiled the information in his brain. He had assumed the situation to be much worse, given Ezra\'s earlier comments, but perhaps his conjectures were too pessimistic and dark.

The situation was not ideal, but it wasn\'t unmanageable. The Bazaar\'s profit margin was excellent thanks to Agatha\'s efforts, and that could get them through any rough patch without dipping into operational funds.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kieran gazed in Ezra\'s direction. "Where are we on the Alexandria situation? How long until we can meet? And will this be on Xenith or Earth?" Ezra tilted her head and let out a melodious laugh that echoed pleasantly in the conference room. "On Earth, silly. How in the heck would we bring orders of X-hancers to this world? That makes no sense!"

"Right, my bad. I don\'t know where my head is," Kieran combed his fingers through his hair, exhaling softly. "Time?"

"Shouldn\'t be more than a few hours from now," Ezra said.

Kieran perused his mind for other pressing matters that may need addressing before settling

on the rumor Altair brought to his attention.

"What\'s this I\'m hearing about a raid? Has any official information been released? Any credible sources we can rely on to seek clarification?"

"I heard some buzzing occasionally, but I can\'t say much. I was too busy lugging this doofus around," Nemean pointed at Bastion.

"Don\'t blame me, asshole. You\'re not very good at gathering information anyway. Your brain

is defective, and shit spills out of it like a colander!"

Kieran looked at the bickering duo and grimaced, sighing softly.

\'Some things just never change.\'

But Kieran found comfort in that lack of change. This situation felt like home.

Altair barely raised two fingers, volunteering. "I can continue collecting more information

and get back to you."

"Get it done. Preferably before anything can take us by surprise."