Chapter 207 — Daniel Graveborn

Chapter 207: Chapter 207 — Daniel Graveborn

Chapter 207 — Daniel Graveborn

Victor watched the man with bright red hair pull his weapon out of the giant Ravager’s heart.

The beast gave one final twitch before going still.

His eyes landed on Victor’s group approaching from behind.

A smile appeared on his face.

"Ah. Looks like we have guests."

The rest of Team Two had already noticed them.

Unlike their leader, they weren’t smiling.

Several tightened their grips on their weapons. The two archers shifted slightly, creating better angles, while the woman dressed like an assassin kept one hand close to her weapon.

Nobody attacked.

But they were ready if something started.

Victor raised his hands slightly.

"We come in peace. We’re not here to fight."

The red-haired man studied him for a moment.

"Okay."

His smile returned.

"Then what might the Tower’s most popular new individual be doing all the way down here, gracing me with his presence?"

Victor stared at him.

Most popular new individual?

What was this guy talking about?

The man laughed.

"You are Victor Ashcroft, right?"

"Yeah. That’s me."

"Good. My name is Daniel Graveborn."

Victor paused.

Daniel Graveborn?

He’d never heard the name before.

Daniel smiled.

"It seems you’ve already had a few run-ins with my nephew. Alex."

"Yeah. Something like that."

Victor didn’t bother hiding the irritation in his voice.

Daniel laughed.

"Oh, come now, Victor. Your problems with Alex have nothing to do with the rest of the family."

He casually waved one hand.

"That’s just a rivalry between two young kids."

Victor looked at him.

Rivalry.

That was one way of describing attempted murder.

Still, Daniel had a point about one thing.

Victor’s hatred for Alex didn’t automatically make the entire Graveborn family his enemy.

"No, you’re right. I don’t have a problem with your family itself."

At least, not yet.

"Actually, I didn’t come here because of the Graveborn family. I came here to talk to Team Two."

Daniel’s smile widened.

"Oh? And what do we owe the pleasure of Victor Ashcroft coming all this way to speak with my little team?"

Victor glanced at the other mercenaries.

Little team?

Team Two was one of the strongest mercenary groups operating in Basement Level Five.

There was something strange about Daniel.

The man spoke so casually that it was difficult to tell when he was being serious. Stranger still, Victor found it surprisingly difficult to dislike him.

Daniel had an almost unnatural amount of charm.

Every word came out relaxed and friendly, as though the two of them were already acquaintances instead of strangers questioning each other in the middle of a cavern.

Victor had to remind himself why he’d come here.

Daniel noticed his hesitation.

"Well, go on. Ask whatever you’d like."

Victor’s gaze moved across the area.

Then something stood out.

There were no slaves.

According to the records, Team Two had entered Basement Level Five with four of them.

Victor looked back at Daniel.

"It was registered that your team brought four slaves down here."

"Ah."

Daniel nodded.

"Yes, we did."

"Where are they?"

"We ran into a large Ravager pack."

Daniel’s tone didn’t change.

"Seven or eight Beast Soldiers came at us all at once. It was quite the situation."

He glanced toward the dead Ravager nearby.

"Unfortunately, there wasn’t much we could do. The slaves were taken. Most likely dragged back to their den."

Victor watched his face.

"So we can assume they’re dead?"

"That would be a good assumption, yes."

Victor said nothing.

Four slaves.

Gone.

And Daniel spoke about them as casually as lost equipment.

Victor had a feeling that if they returned to the entrance and checked those four bracelets, every single one would still show its owner as alive.

Something was wrong.

Whether Daniel himself was responsible or not, he was hiding something.

Victor was almost sure of it.

Daniel chuckled.

"Why are you looking into this anyway, Victor?"

"I have my reasons."

"Oh, do you?"

Daniel lowered his gaze briefly.

"Fair enough."

Then his eyes returned to Victor.

"Anything else you’d like to ask?"

"Yeah."

Victor had already come this far.

"From what I’ve found, your team has lost more slaves than any other mercenary team down here."

Daniel’s smile remained.

"Roughly two hundred over the last two months."

Victor watched him closely.

"Do you have anything to say about that?"

Daniel stared at him for a second.

Then he laughed.

"Ah, you caught me, Victor."

Victor’s eyebrows pulled together.

"We don’t do a very good job keeping the slaves alive."

Daniel shrugged.

"That’s partially my fault. But what can you do?"

Victor stared at him.

"What?"

That was it?

Two hundred people had disappeared while under his team’s responsibility, and that was his answer?

Victor’s expression hardened.

"The strange thing is that almost all the slaves your team has lost are still alive somewhere in these caverns."

For the first time, something changed.

Daniel’s smile weakened.

Barely.

It was gone so quickly Victor might have missed it if he hadn’t been watching.

Then the smile returned.

"You have me there, Victor."

Daniel looked him up and down.

"You know, for someone who was a slave not too long ago, you definitely have balls. I’ll give you that."

He gestured around them.

"Coming all the way down here and questioning a high-class mercenary team connected to the Graveborn family..."

His voice remained friendly.

His eyes didn’t.

"It really makes me wonder."

Victor waited.

"Who are you, really?"

Victor’s expression changed.

For such a simple question, it landed harder than it should have.

Before he could answer, Zack stepped forward.

"Daniel, cut it out."

Daniel’s attention shifted toward him.

"We’re just trying to figure some things out. If you have information, tell us. If you don’t, stop stringing us along."

Daniel’s face immediately lit up.

"Oh, little Zacky."

Zack’s expression soured.

"I haven’t seen you in forever."

Daniel laughed.

"You know, you and Alex used to play together all the time before the two of you had your little falling-out."

Victor turned toward Zack.

Zack shook his head.

Victor held his gaze for another second before looking back at Daniel.

Daniel seemed to consider something.

Then his smile returned.

"I’ll tell you what, Victor."

He spread his arms slightly.

"Why don’t you come visit the Graveborn estate?"

Victor raised an eyebrow.

"We can sit down, have dinner, and talk about all of this properly."

Daniel smiled.

"Maybe by the end of the night, we’ll even leave as friends. How does that sound?"

Victor didn’t answer immediately.

An invitation into the Graveborn estate.

Victor glanced toward Zack.

Zack thought about it before giving him a small nod.

It wasn’t a bad opportunity.

That didn’t mean Victor liked how easily it had appeared.

He looked back at Daniel.

"Okay. We can do that."

Daniel’s smile immediately widened.

"Oh, Victor."

He placed a hand against his chest.

"You make me so happy."

Victor stared at him.

This guy is weird.

"Good," Daniel continued. "Let’s make it three days from now. We’ll still be down here for another few days before heading back up."

His tone shifted.

Only slightly.

"Think about whatever questions you have between now and then. Bring all of them."

Daniel’s red eyes stayed on Victor.

"Because once you ask your questions, I hope you’ll leave my team alone."

There it was.

The invitation wasn’t just hospitality.

Victor nodded.

"Okay. Sounds like a plan."

He paused.

"Thank you for your time, Daniel."

"Oh, it’s my pleasure."

Daniel smiled.

"It’s not every day I get to spend a few minutes with the Tower’s most promising new star."

He stepped away.

"Now, if you’ll excuse us."

Victor nodded.

Daniel turned and started walking deeper into Region B.

The rest of Team Two followed.

One after another, they disappeared deeper into the cavern.

Victor, Zack, Lyra, and Nala remained where they were.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Victor simply watched the tunnel where Team Two had disappeared.

Victor wasn’t sure whether he’d just been invited to dinner...

Or warned to stop digging.