Chapter 26 Loyalty and Confident

Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Loyalty and Confident

"Alright. This should do." Max nodded as he completed the process. All three Class Books were taken into the box and sent to the Bid Store, awaiting the winner of the auction.

He then quickly opened the door. Staying here any longer would only increase the risk of exposing himself.

But the moment the door opened, his eyes widened. A group of people was already waiting right in front of him.

"Hello." Sarah waved at Max while smiling.

"Who are you guys?" Max asked as he stepped back.

"We will talk later. Can you quietly follow us back to our place first?" Denis said as he walked toward Max.

"Stay away!" Max shouted as he quickly equipped his sword.

’Damn it! They already knew I was here! Who are they? Judging from their attire, they’re not from VolcaCorp, Golden Wing, or any of the other companies.’

Max clenched his teeth.

"This is taking too long! Let me handle it." Benn Strong charged forward toward Max.

Max quickly evaded him, running up the wall before flipping over Benn Strong.

"Phew! He’s good," Quinn said as he watched Max’s movements.

"Hey! Hurry up! The VolcaCorp guys are starting to come this way!" Oscar said urgently as he kept watch.

"Tch!" Denis clenched his teeth. If they took too long here, the other companies would discover their involvement, and that surely wouldn’t be good for their company’s future.

"We have no choice but to knock him out," Ryuken said.

Ryuken immediately charged forward. His sudden movement caught Max by surprise, putting him in a difficult position.

But suddenly, someone silently moved behind Max. Max turned around and saw Sarah already standing behind him.

"When did she get there?!" Max was shocked.

Before he could react, Sarah pressed one of her fingers against Max’s neck, causing him to collapse unconscious onto the ground.

"Wow, Sarah! This is the first time I’ve seen you hit someone," Ryuken said.

"Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean to do that!" Sarah bowed apologetically.

"Enough wasting time! Benn Strong, carry that guy with you. We’re getting out through the back door," Denis said.

All of them immediately moved out of there. Luckily, there was no one in the back area of the Auction Hall, allowing them to exit the Dungeon Hub without being detected. Even the security cameras had been hacked by Emma for several seconds.

All of them quickly entered the company van.

"Quick, Quinn! Full throttle!" Oscar shouted at Quinn, who was behind the wheel.

The van immediately sped away from the area and headed toward the highway.

---

"Where the hell is Max?" Lars muttered as he tapped his foot while checking his watch. It had already been 30 minutes since Max completed the process. They had agreed to meet at the cafeteria inside the Dungeon Hub after everything was settled.

He then checked the bid that Max had posted, and currently, there was already a fierce bidding war over the Class Books. The current bid had reached 80,000 Zents, with 24 hours remaining before the auction ended.

"Did he already go home or what? Did he forget we were supposed to meet here?" Lars frowned.

He then decided to order some food and have lunch first while waiting for Max.

---

"Are all of you idiots? I know we told you to bring him here, but not by kidnapping him." Aleph massaged his temples as they all gathered inside the office. Right now, Max was lying unconscious on the couch.

"He resisted when we tried to bring him, so we had no choice," Denis said while scratching his head.

"Sigh. I just hope he doesn’t become hostile toward us. Sarah, wake him up. We need to clear things up. Emma, have you finished checking his ID?"

"Wait a minute. There are still a few things I need to clarify," Emma said as her face almost pressed against the monitor.

Sarah then sat beside Max before pressing her hand against his neck. Max slowly started moving. He sat up, holding his head before shaking it. He then looked forward and saw a group of hunters already staring at him.

"Where am I? Who are you guys? And what do you want from me?" Max asked. His head still felt slightly dizzy, so he was unable to stand properly yet.

"Good afternoon. I apologize for everything that happened just now. You’re currently inside the office of Mazeltov Company. My name is Zane, the CEO of this company." Zane smiled at Max from her seat.

"Mazeltov?" Max tried to remember where he had heard that name before. It sounded strangely familiar.

"Anyway, let’s get straight to the point." Zane’s expression suddenly turned serious. "Are you really Anonymous214?"

Max looked at Zane. She was a truly beautiful woman with long green hair. But that wasn’t what was going through Max’s mind right now.

’ Lars, what the hell did you get me into?! I’m seriously in a pinch right now! ’

But then, he remembered their conversation before they arrived at the Dungeon Hub.

"Let’s say you get caught by someone, which I really hope doesn’t happen, you can just tell them the truth. Tell them you’re working for me,"

"Easy for you to say. I’m the one risking my life on the front line,"

Back in the present, Max opened his mouth.

"No, I’m not."

"Don’t lie! Then how were you able to use that private Auction Room with Anonymous214’s ID?" Benn Strong demanded.

"I’m just following his orders to sell his Class Books. Right now, many people are hunting him, so I’m helping him do it," Max explained.

"Emma?" Zane turned her head toward Emma.

"Unfortunately, he’s telling the truth. This guy isn’t Anonymous214. He already has his own ID," Emma said as she leaned back in her chair.

"Then if you’re working for him, tell us where he is," Benn Strong demanded.

"I won’t sell him out." Max’s eyes sharpened.

"I see. So you’re the loyal type, huh? Then let’s see how deep that loyalty goes." Benn Strong cracked his neck and knuckles.

"Enough, Benn Strong!" Zane said.

"It’s actually better this way. For your information, we’re currently planning to invite that friend of yours to work with us. We’ve prepared a lucrative offer for him if he agrees. And all of our resources will be invested in his growth, as long as he can keep producing those Class Books," Zane explained.

"I don’t know about that. But that guy hates working under a company. I think you will just waste your time even if you meet him personally," Max said.

Zane suddenly chuckled.

"Is that so? Then that’s really a pity. Alright, you can go now. We’re truly sorry for what happened. We will compensate you for the trouble," Zane said.

"But still, I won’t give up on recruiting him. This is my card. Please tell him that I like to meet him and talk with him personally." Zane offered him the card.

Max took it and slipped it into his pocket.

After receiving the compensation, he prepared to leave. But just before walking out, he slowly turned his head and looked at Zane, Aleph, and Vega.

"You guys... I finally remember. Are you actually former members of the disbanded company, Shadowbane?" he asked.

"It’s been a long time since I heard that name. I really hate to admit it, but yes, you’re right. But that’s all in the past now," Zane said.

Max then left the office together with Quinn, who would send him back.

"Are we really just letting him go like that? I can follow him," Oscar said.

"No need. We’ve done what we can. Pushing them any further will only make things worse. Now, we just wait. I believe he will contact us soon," Zane said.

"How are you so sure, Miss Zane?" Sarah asked.

"Because he might think he has the upper hand right now, with all these companies chasing after his signature. But he’s naive if he thinks things will continue going smoothly from now on. Sooner or later, he will have no choice but to ask for help."

Zane smiled confidently.

"No one can survive alone in this ruthless world of dungeon business."