Chapter 54: Meeting

At the border of the Inner Blood Demon Forest, four figures stood quietly beneath the towering trees. The dense forest stretched before them like an endless sea of darkness, its ancient trees blocking out much of the sky and casting long shadows across the ground. A faint bloody mist lingered between the trees, carrying with it the oppressive aura unique to the Inner Blood Demon Forest.

Everyone except one wore an increasingly impatient expression.

Kicking a small stone lying near his feet, a young hunter with long golden hair and a body clad in sturdy alloy armor clicked his tongue in annoyance. The stone rolled several meters across the dirt before disappearing beneath the roots of an ancient tree.

"Damn it, Dawn, this friend of yours better be worth the wait..." Locke complained, folding his arms across his chest.

The other two men remained silent, but they exchanged a glance before turning their attention toward Alchemist Dawn as well. Clearly, they were beginning to wonder whether waiting for this mysterious fifth member was actually worth wasting their precious time.

After all, every moment spent standing at the border of the Inner Blood Demon Forest was another moment someone else could be searching for the same treasure.

Yet, faced with the increasingly annoyed gazes of his companions, Alchemist Dawn remained as calm and graceful as ever. His expression barely changed, as though their impatience had nothing to do with him.

He slowly turned his head toward Locke before pressing his lips together.

"Locke, you haven’t changed at all. Complaining like a young girl all the time... There are countless things that can stop someone from arriving on time."

His tone was mild, almost gentle, but the faint amusement in his eyes made the insult painfully obvious.

Locke’s face immediately turned livid.

This bastard still had that same sharp tongue.

They had known each other for quite some time, and Locke knew exactly how infuriating Dawn could be when he wanted to be. Unfortunately, Dawn was no longer the same alchemist he had been in the past. He was now a proud Rank Two alchemist, a position that gave him considerable status among hunters.

Locke could only swallow his anger.

Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly awkward, the lone woman among the group finally spoke.

"If we stay here any longer, we might lose the opportunity to find the Nine Essence Flower."

Her voice was calm, but there was a faint urgency hidden beneath it.

Dawn might have casually brushed aside Locke’s complaints, but the moment he heard those words, his expression changed slightly.

His pupils flickered.

The Nine Essence Flower.

Even the thought of that name was enough to make his usual composure waver.

The Nine Essence Flower was one of the core ingredients required to refine a Rank Four Life Transformation Pill. For an alchemist, obtaining such a precious ingredient could be equivalent to stumbling upon an unimaginable treasure.

Only yesterday, Dawn had received news that traces of the flower had appeared somewhere deep within the Inner Blood Demon Forest.

At first, he had been skeptical.

Rumors concerning rare treasures appeared all the time, and most turned out to be nothing more than exaggerations spread by hunters hoping to profit from the chaos.

But after personally confirming that the information was genuine, Dawn had immediately abandoned everything else.

He had begun assembling a team.

Locke and the other members of the group were hunters he had worked with several times in the past. They knew each other’s strengths, understood how to cooperate in dangerous situations, and, more importantly, Dawn trusted them enough to venture deep into the Inner Blood Demon Forest alongside them.

But there was one problem.

They needed five people.

And that was why Dawn had decided to invite someone else.

His gaze shifted toward the forest entrance.

Bitter Rain.

The newly risen star who had caused quite a stir among the hunters.

Dawn had personally witnessed enough of Bitter Rain’s abilities to know that the young hunter was far from ordinary. Bringing him along would undoubtedly increase their chances of surviving the dangers lurking within the Inner Blood Demon Forest.

The only problem was that Bitter Rain was late.

And the longer they waited, the greater the possibility that someone else would reach the Nine Essence Flower first.

Dawn’s fingers lightly brushed against the edge of his alchemist robe as he looked toward the distant forest.

He trusted his judgment.

Now, he could only hope Bitter Rain would prove that his decision had been worth the wait.

Just at that moment, the gaze of the young man who had not spoken a single word suddenly shifted toward a particular direction.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

The others noticed the subtle change almost immediately. Following his gaze, they too sensed a faint disturbance coming from within the towering forest.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then, from between the enormous trees, a figure slowly emerged.

Step by step, a young man clad in Rank Two alloyed armor walked out from the deep shadows. His movements were calm and unhurried, yet his presence was strangely difficult to perceive. The dense forest seemed to swallow his aura, making him almost blend into the surrounding darkness.

If they had not been paying close attention, they might not have noticed him at all.

The moment the figure appeared, the relaxed atmosphere around the group instantly vanished.

The four hunters became vigilant.

Faint ripples spread through the air as their spiritual forces subtly locked onto the approaching figure. Their bodies tensed, ready to react at the slightest sign of hostility.

The Inner Blood Demon Forest was not a place where one could afford to lower their guard.

Especially when an unknown person suddenly appeared wearing full-body armor.

The armored figure continued walking toward them without showing any intention of stopping.

Only when there were less than ten meters between them did he finally come to a halt.

Through the narrow slit in his alloyed helmet, a pair of calm eyes looked toward the group.

Then, an indifferent voice came from beneath the armor.

"Hello. It’s me, Bitter Rain. Please forgive me for making all of you wait."

The moment those words fell, the tension surrounding the group immediately eased.

Alchemist Dawn stared at the armored figure for a moment before finally letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Oh, so it’s you. For a moment, I genuinely thought it was some demonic hunter..."

There was a hint of helplessness in his voice.

Dawn did not doubt Jackson’s words, nor did he question why the young man had concealed his entire body beneath Rank Two alloyed armor.

There was no need to ask.

Everyone knew just how popular Bitter Rain had become throughout the entire sector.

After his sudden rise to fame, countless major forces had begun searching for him. Some wanted to recruit him, some wanted to investigate his background, while others undoubtedly had their own intentions.

Under such circumstances, concealing his identity was not only reasonable, but almost necessary.

Dawn had no interest in digging into matters that had nothing to do with their current mission.

He only needed a reliable helper.

As long as Bitter Rain was willing to assist them in searching for the Nine Essence Flower, everything else was irrelevant.

Seeing the accepting expression on Alchemist Dawn’s face, Jackson quietly released the tension in his body.

He had been slightly worried before arriving.

If Dawn had insisted on him revealing his identity, Jackson had already prepared himself to leave.

He had no intention of exposing his true identity simply for the sake of joining a single expedition.

Fortunately, Dawn was not that troublesome.

With that matter settled, Jackson’s thoughts shifted toward the armor covering his body.

He glanced down briefly.

This was a Rank Two steel-type alloyed armor manufactured by Awakened Paradise.

Remembering the price he had paid for it, the corner of Jackson’s mouth twitched.

Five hundred thousand mana stones.

Even now, thinking about that number made him feel as though he had almost coughed up blood.

Five hundred thousand mana stones for a single set of armor.

For Jackson, who had always been extremely careful with his resources, spending such an enormous amount was almost painful.

But he had little choice.

After all, when someone had enemies hiding in the shadows and an identity that countless major forces were searching for, revealing his face everywhere was simply asking for trouble.

At least this armor had one advantage.

No one could recognize him.

However, just then Locke came running to his side, his eyes scanning Jackson’s figure up and down with clear interest.

He had overheard Dawn and Jackson’s exchange and now understood that the person they had been waiting for all this time was not an ordinary hunter, but the local celebrity himself—Bitter Rain.

If he could recruit such a talent to his team, just the thought of it made Locke’s heart accelerate.

As for why he did not doubt Bitter Rain’s words, it was not because he trusted Jackson himself—

it was Alchemist Dawn that he trusted.

Locke deeply believed in Alchemist Dawn’s ability to judge people.

If that fellow trusted someone, then he did not need to doubt them.

"So it’s you, kid... Bitter Rain. Quite the poetic name, I have to say huh..."

Before Locke could continue his attempt to get closer, Alchemist Dawn clapped his hands.

He knew this fellow Locke had a weakness for talents.

Whenever he met someone gifted, he immediately started thinking of ways to rope them in.

"Locke, we don’t have time for this. Let’s talk while we move. First, let me introduce Bitter Rain to all the team members."