‘It turns out that Master Pike had already reached the mid-stage of Rank 1. He was hiding his power to make sure those two Essence Artists died. Master Pike was also interested in their possessions; as you might have expected, he had already sniffed out my little scheme. However, he decided to spare me, provided I continued to work for him. He planned on traveling to places to find a way to reach rank 2. So, for a time, I was free. But now he is back, his journey was likely not so successful, and he probably feels his chances lie in that Silver Horned Snake and its eggs. And so... here we are.”

It took moments for the others to digest the information that Aron disclosed completely.

“But you and Zabel were tense yesterday, so you probably knew that he would come looking for you, yet you still met with us today; you two wanted to include us from the start,” Ju said coldly.

Zabel had an uneasy expression before speaking out again.

“It is not entirely like that. We truly need your help, and we promise you three will be duly compensated.”

When Aron saw that, Tylen and the rest didn’t seem to be convinced, he gritted his teeth and said,

“Inscriptions tool. If we can get those eggs, I can guarantee that you all will get inscription tools like the ones Zabel and I are using; although they might be somewhat defective, they are still

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

better than any weapon you would encounter. Aron said solemnly; meanwhile, he thought to himself.

“After this, I am sure Pike would not bother me again. Even if he did, I would leave Ender Town with the Anli Family envoy to Wulan City. I have saved enough, but then…Zabel.” Aron looked at her with doubt in his eyes. Ultimately, his eyes seemed to harden, and he decided in his heart.

After the incident with Master Pike, the group did not want to discuss another hunting session. Aron said they should meet at the restaurant later in the evening to decide when to accompany Master Pike.

Ju had a gloomy look as he returned to the inn. The old woman at the counter was busy attending to customers, and Ju was clearly troubled, so he didn’t even look at her before he went upstairs. However, the Old Woman shot him a glance; a glimmer of surprise appeared in her eye for an instant before it faded.

As he entered the room, Ju began pondering. Although he anticipated that partnering with people carried some risks, he never expected it to come this fast or be dangerous.

“Pike…huh ”

Ju sighed internally, thinking of all the Essence Artists to have an issue with, and Aron picked the most powerful of them all in Ender Town.

Eventually, Ju thought of possible case scenarios. Ultimately, the best thing he could do to preserve his life was to grow stronger, although it might not matter much.

“I should practice a bit.”

His mind went to the tempering formula. He could try opening another node, but first, he had to do something.

Ju brought out his wooden Jade slip and entered the names of Aron and Zabel, with a question mark on both.

“For now, although they were not complete enemies, I must be extra wary of any potential backstab and sabotage.”