When Ju returned to Ender Town, it was already dusk. It was time to meet with Aron and the others.

“ In the end, I was unable to acquire another dagger. But I could still manage the one that I have.”

After comparing the prices, the shopkeeper's pills were a bit more expensive than other stores. However, Ju still purchased the man’s wares because the shopkeeper had a particular aura around him. This same aura seemed present in the alchemist workshops when Ju went to deliver materials back to the mines. Ju suspected the shopkeeper was probably an alchemist's apprentice who came to Ender town to sell some of his master’s wares.

“Better to buy pills directly from the source.”

Ju muttered under his breath as he entered the restaurant. Ju saw that only Aron and Zabel were present. The teenager’s eyebrows knitted together when he saw this, but his face had no expression as he sat down. Aron had an uneasy smile as he welcomed Ju, while Zabel looked quite pale, although she nodded her head as a form of greeting.

Ju closed his eyes and waited as time passed slowly. When it reached the hour mark, Ju could not help but wonder if Tylen and Oberon had run away.

“But that seemed quite foolish; after all, there was nowhere they could outrun an Essence Artist if he was hell-bent on finding them. But then, what was keeping them?” Ju wondered.

The duo had arrived. Tylen had an impassive expression, while Oberon chuckled nervously as they sat down.

“We had some issues to sort out on the way; after all, this might be our most dangerous outing yet,” Oberon said casually.

But Aron was quick to refute him.

“I assure you, it would not be as dangerous as you think; Master Pike and his Partners would be at the frontline of the battle; all we have to do is take care of the less powerful spiritual snakes and snatch those eggs, and that’s it.”

“If only it would be that simple.” Ju thought to himself. Aron would do all he could to boost their morale towards the mission.

Oberon said nothing further; he just smiled and shook his head.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Tylen remained silent throughout, although Ju noticed his sad expression whenever he looked at Zabel. But the girl seemed too bothered even to notice.

“Perhaps Tylen had feelings for her, so it was understandable that he felt shocked at this incident, perhaps thinking of it as some sort of betrayal.”

Ju thought with a hint of cynicism.

“We are meeting tomorrow and will escort Master Pike throughout the trip. It's best that only I do the talking when we are about to start, and before you know it, we are done.”

Aron then brought out a large bag and placed it on the table. Ju's right eye lit up when he saw this. The bag had a familiar scent.

“Here are some pills for injuries. I bought it as it should provide some assistance. When we complete the mission, it would be easy for me to ask Master Pike for some Inscription tools. Although he is unpredictable sometimes, Master Pike is quite generous when he is in a good mood that I can vouch for.”

Oberon let out a low whistle as he studied the bag's contents.

Just as he was pondering, Ju heard Aron sigh of relief.

“You did not spare any expense; even a pseudo-spiritual pill is here.”

Aron let out a weak smile.

“Are you sure that he will never bother us again after this? It would be uncomfortable to always have an Essence Artist's attention.” Tylen spoke out in a low voice for the first time since he came.

Aron thought for a few seconds before replying.

“I can’t think of why he should lie to us. Master Pike is trying everything he can to become a Rank 2 Essence Artist; however, that step is just as difficult here in the Wastelands. I heard from rumours that those powerful forces in Wulan City held concrete methods to reach Rank 2 and Above, so without pledging allegiance, one is unlikely to get them; even if one is willing to submit, only those with adequate potential are accepted. This silver-horned snake is Master Pike's last-ditch chance to break that barrier. If he does become a Rank 2 Essence, I highly doubt he would ever bother about small fires like us again.”

Ju nodded slightly. This reasoning was quite logical.

“But he is still definitely hiding something.”

Even though he had some doubt in his eyes, Tylen didn’t make any further argument, and they went ahead to share the pills.

Ju was quite satisfied after the exchange. With the addition of these new pills and the ones he had before, Ju started to feel better about the trip.

Tylen was the first to get up from the table, and Oberon followed suit as the group gradually dispersed out of the restaurant. Suddenly, the friendly atmosphere that used to exist between the five of them had faded.

“All that remains is suspicion and awkwardness.”

Ju mentally shook his head as he thought about this.