Su Chen wasn’t too concerned about the Sanctuary. "First, I need to figure out this personal hidden class Authority," he said. "After that, I’ll most likely stay here."
"That’s such a pity," Pang Peng sighed.
"He’s got that RV, so it’s not like he can move around easily. Besides, staying on the border makes it more convenient to kill monsters," Cao Yutang said with a smile.
Su Chen glanced at his watch. The sky outside was already dark, and he had no intention of making small talk or lingering any longer.
He announced, "I’m heading to the conference hall."
The major, close-knit groups could circulate Rune Essence internally, having little need to trade in the public market.
Before leaving, Su Chen brought up the cave. "Tomorrow morning, I’m going to continue exploring the vertical shaft in the cave. If you’re interested, you can come along."
The cave system was likely huge—too much for him to handle alone. Besides, they had been the ones to discover it, so it was only right to include them.
Having a top expert personally lead a dungeon run naturally piqued some people’s interest, especially since the morning’s haul had been substantial.
However...
A vertical shaft at least two hundred meters deep that led to who-knows-where... it was simply too dangerous.
Su Chen’s expression turned serious as he added, "The vertical shaft is likely very deep. If it’s too deep, we’ll just have to give up and look for other caves. And I can’t guarantee your safety."
If it weren’t for his Gravity Skill, he wouldn’t have even considered it. The logistics of moving things alone would be a massive problem.
Le Yuxuan and the two others from the polytechnic university were clearly having second thoughts. They had gotten a taste of the rewards that morning, but the subsequent risk factor was enough to scare them off.
Yan Ziqian’s group, however, readily agreed.
"Alright. We’ll be in touch tomorrow."
The campground’s conference hall was originally designed for corporate team-building parties. To complement the natural theme, it was decorated in a style of rustic luxury.
A vaulted ceiling soared six meters high, supported by a crisscrossing framework of raw timber beams. On two sides, panoramic, floor-to-ceiling glass walls could be slid open, allowing the interior to blend seamlessly with the gardens outside.
It was 7:24 PM.
In the flickering light of several bonfires, numerous figures were gathered together.
Su Chen had only just arrived when Yuan Haotian, who was already waiting, brought over the young man who had expressed interest in a trade that afternoon.
The man stood with his arms crossed, his face a mask of vigilance, his gaze scrutinizing and suspicious. But in the next instant, his pupils dilated in shock, his previous wariness replaced by a look of pure astonishment as he stared at a pair of Wind Element Runes floating toward him.
They were a Wind Blade Lv1 and a Wind Shield Lv2. As per their agreement, they were to be exchanged for one Flame Burst Lv1 and one Flame Burst Lv2.
The Runes themselves weren’t anything special.
What terrified the man was the method of control—the invisible Telekinesis.
"Where are your Runes? Are you trying to mess with us?" Yuan Haotian growled, his expression turning menacing when he saw the man just standing there, dumbstruck.
"Just a moment..."
The young man flinched. After a terrified glance at Su Chen, he waved a hand behind him. A moment later, a figure who had been pretending to casually admire the plants in a large pot noticed the small gesture and immediately hurried over.
Based on their similar features, they had to be twin brothers.
"Here!"
The older-looking brother immediately pulled two bottles from his backpack, containing the Fire Element Runes—the promised Flame Burst Lv1 and Flame Burst Lv2.
After the exchange was complete, the brothers clearly wanted to talk.
"Well, I have to go."
But Su Chen was clearly in a hurry and left without another word.
’Too many prying eyes here.’ Considering that leveling up would cause a fiery light to emanate from his very being, he couldn’t afford to linger.
Yuan Haotian didn’t press for details. He just watched Su Chen leave the conference hall, and in the next second, he vanished into the darkness without a trace.
"Why’d he leave in such a hurry? He’s probably got something to hide!"
In a corner of the conference hall, Feng Yuanjie had also noticed Su Chen’s departure. He was still bitter about his failure to obtain the Thought-taking Power Rune, and the sudden deaths of the three archery coaches had left him feeling deeply unsettled.
’It’s him?’
Feng Zhiyuan was there as well. With his broad, lion-like features and imposing physique, no one dared to get too close to the man widely recognized as the base’s number one expert.
A cold light flickered in his eyes. When traces of ash were first found at the murder scene, his son had immediately pinned the blame on a formidable Flame Burst Spellcaster. At the time, Feng Zhiyuan had dismissed it as his son throwing a tantrum and looking for an excuse to cause trouble, so he hadn’t paid it much mind.
But now, seeing the man in the conference hall and with his son stirring up trouble again, a seed of doubt was planted in Feng Zhiyuan’s mind. He didn’t believe Su Chen had the strength to take down the giant hippo himself; it was far more likely he had simply played the scavenger, swooping in to claim the prize after someone else did all the work.
Once a seed of suspicion is planted, it is very difficult to uproot.
Interestingly, he wasn’t the only one with his eyes on Su Chen.
In fact, a short while earlier, when Su Chen had first entered, Qian Bin had spotted him from a distance. His expression had changed instantly, and he had quietly slipped away in the opposite direction.
He had tried to be friendly twice, attempting to curry favor with Su Chen, but the man hadn’t even bothered to give him a glance. His warm overtures had been met with a stone-cold shoulder.
Now, not only had his attempts to curry favor failed, but the incident with the RV spot that afternoon had also entangled him with a member of the Mutual Aid Society. If he hadn’t gotten a tip-off in advance, his own cousin might never have had the chance to escape from the forest.
No matter how much composure he usually had, it had been shattered to pieces by this series of events.
’So arrogant... He’s just asking to die!’ Qian Bin gritted his teeth, murderous intent already stirring in his heart.
’He’s just a lone wolf, after all!’
’In the end, he’s just a squishy Mage. Once he’s asleep, he’ll be as helpless as a fish on a cutting board, ready to be carved up.’
’Killing him would be the perfect chance to take his Rune Essence.’ When they had discussed it that afternoon, he and the ones who would carry out the attack had already decided how they would divvy up the spoils.

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