Chapter 48: Moths To Flame!

Damien Bale’s recruitment offer was flatly rejected by Aiden Cross.

The news caused quite a stir within the Dragon Sovereign Guild, especially among Damien Bale’s earliest core followers. To these proud individuals, who had long regarded Damien Bale as a man destined for greatness, Reaper’s refusal was nothing short of sheer impudence, a direct provocation to their guild and its leader.

Among them, none reacted more violently than the hot-tempered and simple-minded Commander Garrett Kaine.

"Damn it! We give him face, and he throws it right back in ours!" In a temporarily cleared warehouse that served as their stronghold, Commander Garrett Kaine slammed his fist onto an abandoned wooden crate, sending splinters flying. "A lone wolf who just got a bit lucky dares to disrespect Sir Damien? Does he think I don’t dare kill him?! He’s playing with his life!"

He had already been highly displeased with this Reaper who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was even beginning to overshadow them. Now, with the man daring to reject the olive branch personally extended by their guild master, Garrett was absolutely furious.

"Garrett, calm down."

Damien Bale sat behind a relatively intact office desk. His expression appeared calm, but the unconscious tapping of his fingers against the tabletop betrayed the displeasure simmering beneath the surface.

"This Reaper’s strength is unfathomable. Being able to solo a team dungeon is by no means a fluke. It would be unwise to make an enemy of him so easily."

"Make an enemy? Sir, he’s the one who disrespected us first!" Commander Garrett Kaine stiffened his neck, his voice filled with indignation. "For a troublemaker like him, if we don’t beat him into submission, he’ll never bow his head! Let me go meet him! I’ll show him who’s the real boss here in Ashford City!"

Damien Bale fell silent for a moment.

He did indeed need to investigate the Reaper’s background. More importantly, he needed to rein in this unpredictable variable before the man’s growing reputation began to threaten the Dragon Sovereign Guild’s prestige.

Letting Garrett test the waters might not be a bad idea.

If Garrett won, they could naturally force Reaper into submission. If he lost, they would at least gain a clearer understanding of the Reaper’s true strength and abilities.

"Very well."

Damien Bale finally nodded. "Remember, your primary objective is to test his strength and recruit him. Unless absolutely necessary, do not kill him. If you can force him to reveal more of his abilities, that will be a great achievement."

"Don’t worry, Sir Damien! I know exactly what to do!"

Commander Garrett Kaine grinned savagely.

He immediately gathered seven or eight players around Level 3 or 4, all considered early-stage elites of the guild, before aggressively leading them out of the stronghold.

... It was very easy for them to figure out where the Reaper might appear.

After all, Aiden Cross had just cleared "The Fall of City Hall," and many players speculated that he would either remain in the vicinity or move on to challenge another dungeon. Commander Garrett Kaine led his men straight to the entrance of another Level 5 team dungeon, the "Abandoned Subway Station."

At this stage, it was one of the places where high-level players were most likely to gather.

And considering the Reaper had already soloed a team dungeon, there was a high chance he would come here as well.

They simply had to wait.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before that iconic matte-black Rezvani SUV appeared at the end of their line of sight, smoothly pulling up near the subway station’s entrance.

Aiden Cross pushed open the door and stepped out.

He had just visited a player trading post to dispose of some of his dungeon loot and restock his supplies. Now, he was preparing to enter the "Abandoned Subway Station" for another efficient round of leveling and soul harvesting.

Even though he had already cleared the dungeon, its monsters would eventually respawn.

The moment his feet touched the ground, however, Aiden keenly sensed that something was off.

Several hostile gazes instantly locked onto him.

His expression remained unchanged.

He calmly swept his gaze across the area and immediately spotted the hulking man standing directly in front of the entrance like an iron tower, his arms crossed over his chest and his face filled with arrogance and provocation.

Commander Garrett Kaine.

Behind him, seven players from the Dragon Sovereign Guild had spread out into a loose semicircle, quietly blocking the surrounding paths. Their eyes were filled with scrutiny and faint hostility.

"Yo, isn’t this the famous ’Reaper’?"

Commander Garrett Kaine’s sarcastic voice boomed through the area, deliberately drawing the attention of the scattered players nearby.

"It’s definitely you. You’re the only lunatic daring enough to enter a team dungeon alone. What’s the matter? Soloing one team dungeon wasn’t enough for you, so now you want to monopolize this five-man dungeon too?"

Aiden Cross stopped in his tracks.

His gaze settled on that familiar, fleshy face.

The very same face that had once swung a slaughtering blade at him in his previous life.

A trace of killing intent surged through the depths of his heart.

Yet on the surface, his expression remained as calm as still water.

...

"Is there something?" His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. For a moment, Aiden Cross simply stared at Garrett Kaine.

Then, the corners of his lips slowly curled upward.

A faint smile appeared on his face. ’Finally.’

It seemed that no matter how carefully he laid out his plans, his enemies would always be eager to deliver themselves straight to his doorstep. Like moths willingly flying into a flame. Only this time, the flame wouldn’t be content with burning them.

It would devour them completely. Aiden’s gaze swept past Garrett and settled on the seven players standing behind him.

These were all early-stage elites of the Dragon Sovereign Guild.

Every single one of them had willingly followed Garrett here. They had come looking for the Reaper.

They had come to threaten him. And, more importantly... They had delivered themselves to him.

The killing intent that had been suppressed deep within Aiden’s heart slowly began to stir.

He had originally intended to deal with the Dragon Sovereign Guild according to his plans, dismantling them piece by piece and making them experience despair before their eventual destruction.

But now... Why bother looking for them when they had willingly walked into his path?