Chapter 58: Sealed Fate

"Locke, do you know them? Who are they?"

Jackson kept his voice low as he glanced toward the opposing hunters.

He didn’t need anyone to explain that the relationship between Locke and the other group was anything but friendly. The atmosphere had changed the moment they recognized each other. The hostility that had previously been directed at the Nine Essence Flower had now shifted toward them.

Their situation had already been troublesome enough.

They had failed to secure the flower, and judging from the expressions of the two groups standing before them, simply leaving the clearing might prove difficult as well.

Before Locke could answer, Jack’s voice came from the side.

"Desolate Troop..."

The words were almost squeezed through clenched teeth.

His expression had become terrifying.

"These bastards..."

Jack’s fists tightened until his knuckles turned white. A terrifying killing intent slowly spread from his body, so intense that even Jackson could clearly feel it.

"I’ll kill every single one of them."

Jackson’s eyes narrowed.

There was something behind those words.

This wasn’t an ordinary grudge.

The hatred in Jack’s voice was too deep, too personal.

Locke had initially tried to maintain a calm and indifferent expression, as though the appearance of the Desolate Troop meant nothing to him.

But after hearing Jack’s words, that composure finally cracked.

His eyes became cold.

The relaxed expression disappeared from his face, replaced by a chilling killing intent.

"Desolate Troop..."

He repeated the name quietly.

It sounded less like a name and more like a curse.

Alchemist Dawn also seemed to remember something.

His expression changed, and a trace of solemnity appeared in his eyes.

Jackson noticed the reaction immediately.

Clearly, there was a story behind this.

Originally, Locke’s squad had consisted of four people.

But according to what Alchemist Dawn had heard, one of their members had died during a previous mission.

She had been Locke’s lover.

And Jack’s younger sister.

More importantly, the person responsible for her death was said to be none other than the leader of the Desolate Troop.

The pieces immediately fell into place.

Jackson finally understood why Jack’s hatred was so intense.

This wasn’t merely a dispute over resources.

This was revenge.

Alchemist Dawn’s expression became complicated.

He glanced at Jackson before quietly sending him a private message.

Bitter Rain, today’s situation has nothing to do with you.

A moment later, another message appeared.

You can leave before things get any worse. We won’t blame you.

There was no manipulation in his words.

No attempt to pressure Jackson into staying.

Alchemist Dawn was genuinely concerned about him.

He didn’t want Bitter Rain, a newly awakened hunter with enormous potential, to become involved in a battle that had nothing to do with him.

After all, this conflict had existed long before Jackson arrived.

And there was a very real possibility that it would end in bloodshed.

But Alchemist Dawn himself had no intention of leaving.

He and Locke had known each other for many years.

Long before Alchemist Dawn had become a Rank One alchemist, the two of them had already fought countless life-and-death battles together.

They had entered dangerous monster territories side by side.

They had faced situations where a single mistake could have cost them their lives.

They had dragged each other back from the brink of death more than once.

Their relationship had long since gone beyond that of ordinary teammates.

They were friends who had survived countless battles together.

So even if the opponent standing before them was formidable...

Even if this battle might become dangerous...

Alchemist Dawn would not abandon Locke.

He looked toward the Desolate Troop, his eyes gradually becoming cold.

Some debts have to be settled eventually.

How could Jackson fail to understand what Alchemist Dawn was thinking?

He had already spent enough time with the man to recognize the sincerity behind his words. Alchemist Dawn genuinely wanted him to leave, even though Jackson could tell that, deep down, he also hoped he would stay.

Jackson couldn’t help but feel a little moved.

In a world where strength and resources determined how far a person could go, finding someone willing to stand beside a friend even when the situation turned dangerous was extraordinarily rare.

Such loyalty...

Jackson glanced toward Locke.

Finding a friend like Alchemist Dawn was truly Locke’s good fortune.

A faint smile appeared beneath Jackson’s mask.

He shook his head and said, "Don’t worry, Alchemist Dawn. I’m not a coward who would simply run away with his tail between his legs just because I’ve encountered some danger."

His voice was calm, without the slightest trace of hesitation.

Of course, Jackson wasn’t saying this simply because he wanted to play the righteous hero.

He had complete confidence in his own abilities.

The situation might look dangerous to the others, but Jackson knew exactly how many cards he had hidden up his sleeve.

Even if the battle went badly, he was confident that he could escape.

With the Twin Moon Escape Skill, unless someone possessed a method specifically capable of restraining his movements, he was certain that none of the people present could stop him from leaving.

That confidence was the reason Jackson was willing to remain.

Alchemist Dawn stared at him for several seconds.

In the end, he didn’t say anything.

He simply remained silent.

But deep inside, he felt relieved.

To tell the truth, although he had told Jackson to leave, a part of him had desperately hoped that Bitter Rain would stay.

After witnessing the power of Jackson’s mysterious ability, Alchemist Dawn understood just how valuable an ally he could be.

That seemingly impossible method of killing the Shadow Cat had already left a deep impression on him.

If Bitter Rain remained, their chances of surviving the coming conflict would undoubtedly increase.

At this moment, Alchemist Dawn’s impression of Jackson rose considerably.

If I survive this disaster today...

His eyes hardened as he silently made a decision.

I’ll definitely repay him.

He might owe Jackson a favor today, but Alchemist Dawn was not the kind of person who would casually forget a favor that someone had done for him.

Meanwhile, Jackson naturally had no idea what was going through Alchemist Dawn’s mind.

If he had known, however, he probably would have found it rather interesting.

Witnessing the killing intent gradually filling Locke’s eyes, the leader of the Desolate Troop couldn’t help but reveal a playful smirk.

He had clearly been waiting for this moment.

Instead of immediately confronting Locke, he turned toward the man he had been arguing with just moments ago.

"Brother Tian."

His tone suddenly became much friendlier.

"If you help me deal with these clowns, you can take seventy percent of the profits from this operation."

He paused for a moment, his smile widening.

"What do you say?"

The sudden offer left Tian momentarily stunned.

He hadn’t expected such a drastic change.

Just moments ago, the Desolate Troop leader had been arguing with him over the Nine Essence Flower. Both sides had been unwilling to compromise, and the conflict had nearly escalated into a full-blown battle.

Yet now, this man was suddenly willing to hand over seventy percent of his profits.

Tian’s eyes flickered with surprise.

He didn’t know what had caused the sudden change, but that hardly mattered.

Seventy percent was an enormous share.

There was no reason to refuse free profit.

After a brief moment of consideration, Tian’s gaze shifted toward Jackson’s group.

A trace of disdain appeared in his eyes.

"Just a bunch of clowns at the Early Second Sequence Realm, and they dare cause trouble here?"

His voice was filled with confidence.

"Dealing with them won’t require everyone."

Tian stepped forward slightly, his aura beginning to spread.

"Just me alone will be enough."

The Desolate Troop leader’s smile grew wider.

That was exactly the answer he had wanted.

With Tian’s strength and confidence, the outcome was already decided in his mind.

Locke’s fate was sealed.

Jackson’s eyebrows could not help but rise. Hidden behind the mask, a curious expression appeared on his face.

Such arrogance...

He could not help but wonder what gave this guy such confidence.

As he focused, a status window displaying Tian’s stats flared in front of his vision.

[Name — Tian Shen]

[Age — 18]

[Talent — Ten Times Strength]

[Realm — Mid Second Sequence]

[Spiritual Force — 16.7]

[Mana/Physique — 17.1]

Don’t tell me it’s this talent...

Ten Times Strength sounded indeed impressive, but among the awakened who could launch long-range magic attacks, having absolute strength wasn’t that important!

"No hard feelings, kid..."

The grin on Tian Shen’s face widened as he moved toward Locke, not realizing all of his secrets had been exposed.

"I will give you one chance... leave..."

An indifferent voice echoed out.

Jackson finally moved and stood between Locke and Tian Shen.

In his heart, he knew that if a direct confrontation broke out, it would be difficult to defeat them, so the only way to solve this situation was total domination.

He would have to make sure these people knew they were not his opponents at all.