As my gaze lifts from the outstretched hand before me, up to the shimmering silver mask of the man I was bidding against all night, I immediately go on high alert.

Activating my perception skills, I come to see his status is still blocked to me for some reason. It is only showing those odd "???Access Denied" messages next to every spot where items, skills, and buffs are meant to be. His tone while greeting me isn't hostile, and it would not be logical to pull anything too nefarious while under the roof of an event hall like this.

If we were outside or completely alone, it would be a different story.

I shake his hand and put on a professional smile to reply.

"Nice to meet you too, Number 1..."

My stomach still drops while looking at the man's intensely sharp blue eyes, but my battle experience has taught me it's best to put on a cool front at all times.

He smiles, showing perfectly straight pearly white teeth.

"The name is Lith Galeheart. I prefer not to go by number 1. So please, call me Lith."

He continues after a short pause.

"We were the top two buyers of the night. Our names will be in the public sales records anyway; there's no point in keeping secrets that will be shared eventually."

His words remind me of the warning my guide said before the auction: the top two items of the auction may be tracked because of their perceived value. I have an alias, so it doesn't matter much. Chester, on the other hand, will be linked to this sale.

I respond while releasing the grip of our firm handshake.

"Thorne. Thorne Darkwood."

I wasn't expecting to get so much mileage out of this name, but it seems my choices tonight will have much longer-lasting effects than expected.

He responds.

"Association, Inner Circle, Black Ops, or A Solo Mercenary? Who do you work for?"

My eyebrows raise higher and higher at every word that comes out of his mouth, but I instantly reply once he finishes speaking.

"Solo. I work by myself."

The tightening of his gaze makes me wonder if he really believes me or if he's able to see right through my disguise.

Now that I have a moment to think about my situation, I can't tell a thing about him, actually. With such a level of difference and lack of information, this silver-masked man is in total control of the conversation.

He reaches into a chest pocket and pulls out a thin silver piece of metal in the shape of a rectangular card. It's a few millimeters thick at most but carries some weight to it. Lith motions for me to take it.

"No matter what your actual origin is, you're a very intriguing individual, Thorne. If you're ever in the area around Valor City, know you can always get work from my guild. No strings attached."

I hesitate to grab the metal card, so he continues, sensing the tension.

"Really, no strings attached. We offer jobs asked by anonymous buyers. If it's within your capabilities, the guild will offer it. You may accept and get paid upon completion or decline without consequence."

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I nod, understanding the line of business he's describing very well, but not understanding why he's explaining it to me here of all places.

I let out a sigh and accept the silver card. However, the moment I do, he turns to leave, disappearing into the crowd of people behind before I can think to get another word in. With my mouth left open, I look down at the shimmering piece of metal and let out the breath that was just about to ask him why he chose to invite me. Instead, I stay silent while reading the line-lined text over the glossy silver surface of the item.

It just has the logo of swirling lines that mimic a breeze with his last name printed above it: "Galeheart Mercenary Guild". Below the logo and guild name, there's an address in Valor City.

My eyebrows scrunch as I try to make out what just happened. Did he just try to recruit me for his mercenary group? Where is Valor City? And are there really no strings attached? There's always strings attached...

I continue to stare down at the card in confusion as the hall starts to clear out, coming to the consensus that all of this recent backstabbing, betrayal, and running away from monsters that want to kill me has made me more paranoid than ever.

Still, it's for a good reason. I'm still working on slipping away from the Association that sold me out and tried to have me killed. Plus, I'm working on dismantling the Inner Circle and rescuing my teammates from the inside before they catch on. Things are a bit complicated right now. It's not in my best interest to get a third party involved for no reason.

I put the card away and begin walking toward the door. Chester follows close behind with a puzzled expression on his face. I can't tell if it's excitement or terror; his skin is a few shades paler than usual, so the safe bet is the latter.

We step out of the auction house's front steps and make our way down the street we came from, back to the dungeon hub square, before I finally put up a small hush barrier.

"What's going on? You've been pale and silent like you've seen a ghost. Did you know that guy? Is it something else? He's gone now, and he doesn't even know my real name. I doubt he'll come after you."

Chester doesn't reply.

"Come on... I'm sure he would have made things a lot more hostile if he was really mad at me for outbidding him on these Soulstones. He could have bought them himself if he really wanted to!"

Chester gulps and finally responds.

"Oh, he most definitely could have bought those stones if he wished. That was the leader of the Galeheart Guild. They call him The Man Hidden in the Wind. The fact that he came from Sector 1 all the way to Sector 4 just for this auction... No... the fact that we even saw him in person... He talked to you directly..."

There's a smile growing across Chester's face now that makes it seem like he's more of a fanboy than afraid of this so-called "Man Hidden in the Wind".

I reply.

"Who is he? I know he's strong... Stronger than me... But what are you talking about? He's from Sector 1? A well-known Mercenary or something?"

The old man nods, letting out a breath and bringing himself together.

"Well known? Sure... A mercenary? No... I'm not sure you could call him that. He's mostly talked about in the high-end collector's circles. For the right price, he'll get teams to farm any dungeon you need or retrieve any order of materials no matter the drop rate. He's the main supplier for legitimate businesses in the craftsmen and collectors fields here in the Dark Continent."

I nod, but Chester keeps speaking before I think to get a word in.

"It's rumored he came from the mainland outside the walls of the continent to make a name for himself in a newer growing market with less competition. His only true competitors out here are the Inner Circle, related gangs, and other smaller private mercenary groups. However, his group is known to be the best and most legitimate. That's why long-term public contracts with the Galeheart Guild are a big deal. I haven't done business with his guild in well over a decade, but I still keep close tabs on the collector's world."

Chester laughs.

"Oh, how the times have changed."

The fact that this man is a well-known collector and businessman in the strongest Sector of the Dark continent isn't what stands out to me the most. It's the fact that Chester said he hasn't done business with him in over a decade. The man I met tonight was no more than 30 years old by the look of his visible facial features.

Either he managed to build a business empire in his teens, found the cure for aging, or his whole getup was a carefully concealed disguise. Given the nature of his blocked status, the last doesn't seem too far-fetched. Although, scarily enough, the first two don't seem unreasonable either.

Deep in thought, the two of us make it back to the above-ground dungeon hub one step at a time.

With the presence of a strong 3rd party making himself known in the city, it only reminds me of how much I don't know about this continent as a whole compared to the mainland. Everything that goes on here is kept a secret from the outside world.

However, as the rectangular shielding contraptions that guard the dungeons come into my line of sight, a new thought creeps into my mind. I wonder what buffs Abby and Maria got from their rank-ups.