Chapter 98: All Secrets in the Open.

News of the Slave Trade Guild’s evil operations spread throughout the town like wildfire. Many awakeners refused to accept it at first.

Some outright denied it.

“How could such a guild exist here?”

“That has to be a lie.”

“No human could be that cruel.”

Denial was easier than accepting the truth.

Inside a crowded tavern near the eastern gate, a weary party of awakeners pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Their expressions were exhausted and hollow; their bodies battered from a hunt that had gone terribly wrong.

Armor plates hung loose, torn apart by claws and fangs.

One shield bore deep gouges that nearly split it in half, while several members were wrapped tightly in bloodstained bandages.

They supported one another as they walked, leaning heavily on shoulders and spears.

After scanning the room, they found an empty table near the corner and collapsed onto the benches with heavy sighs.

Their last hunt had ended in tragedy, and they had lost a single companion, a friend who would never return.

Grief weighed heavily on them.

They had come to drown themselves in alcohol, hoping the numbness would quiet the ache in their chests.

Before they could even call the tavern attendant over to order wine, they noticed something strange.

The tavern was unusually loud, not with laughter, but with murmurs and heated voices. Conversations overlapped, all carrying the same tense undertone.

Their captain, a broad-shouldered man with gray hair and a scar running across his cheek, frowned slightly.

“What are you all discussing?” he asked in a low, steady voice.

A man at the neighboring table glanced over, draining the remainder of his mug before responding. “You must’ve just arrived from outside the town.”

“News about the Slave Trade Guild is spreading everywhere,” the man continued.

“Slave Trade Guild?” The captain blinked, confusion flashing across his face. He exchanged looks with his team. “I’ve never heard that name before.”

“You’re not alone,” another awakener chimed in. “Most of us are hearing it for the first time today.”

“But that’s not the most important part,” the man said gravely, leaning forward. “What matters are their crimes.”

He lowered his voice, though the tavern had already grown quiet around him.

“I heard from members of the Crimson Arc Guild that the Slave Trade Guild kidnapped awakeners. They killed them… and used their bodies for forbidden rituals.”

“What?”

“How is that even possible?”

Skeptical voices rose, some awakeners rolling their eyes in disbelief.

A female adventurer sitting near the bar frowned deeply. “I heard that many people we thought were killed by beasts were actually killed by them.”

The table fell silent.

The more details emerged, the harder it became to dismiss the story. One by one, people stopped drinking.

Even those wincing from fresh wounds seemed to forget their pain as horror replaced exhaustion.

The tavern attendant stood frozen behind the counter, failing to notice awakeners trying to place orders.

This was the first time many of them had heard of something so vile and inhuman being committed by awakeners against their own kind.

“They’ve been killing innocent awakeners for years,” a voice suddenly said from the back of the tavern. “But this time, they targeted the wrong person.”

At once, curiosity flared.

“Who did they target?” someone asked.

The tavern grew unnaturally quiet.

Chairs scraped softly as people leaned forward, eager to catch every word.

The young man who had spoken earlier cleared his throat, clearly enjoying the attention. “They targeted the Grim Reaper.”

A wave of stunned reactions rippled through the room.

“Huh?”

“The Grim Reaper?”

Eyes widened. Some gasped softly.

Everyone in town knew who the Grim Reaper was.

The most terrifying awakener to emerge in recent memory.

A man so ruthless that even the Federation Police had retreated in his presence.

“Are they insane?” someone blurted out. “Why would they target him?”

“You don’t understand,” the young man replied, lowering his voice again.

“They went after him when he was still weak.”

Quickly, murmurs spread.

“They thought he was just another newcomer to the Abyss…an easy prey. Someone no one would miss.”

“But they were wrong,” he continued. “The Grim Reaper only needed a few days to grow terrifyingly strong.”

“And then,” he paused for effect, “he came back for revenge.”

Sharp breaths were drawn all around.

Now it made sense.

The Slave Trade Guild had thought they found prey, only to realize they had provoked a hornet’s nest.

“But that’s not what truly scared people,” the young man added, his eyes gleaming.

“There’s more?” someone urged.

“Spit it out!”

The awakeners grew impatient.

Instead of answering directly, the young man posed a question. “How do you think the Slave Trade Guild chose their targets so precisely?”

Confusion rippled through the crowd.

No one answered.

Watching their impatience, he finally revealed the truth.

“From the Federation Police.”

Boom.

It felt as if the tavern itself had been struck by lightning.

Mugs slipped from trembling hands, shattering against the floor. Wine spilled down armor and cloaks, but no one cared.

Jaws hung open.

Some awakeners stared blankly ahead, struggling to process what they had just heard.

The Federation Police.

Working with the Slave Trade Guild.

On the streets outside, the situation quickly turned dire. Conversations grew heated.

Voices rose.

For the first time, the public began questioning the Federation openly.

Trust cracked, and fear crept into every corner of the town.

Deep within a secluded basement, Minerva and Rowena stared at the two figures standing before them, eyes wide with shock.

“Is this true?” Minerva asked quietly, her voice tense.

Green met her gaze, his expression solemn. “Do you think we would lie about something this serious?” he asked in a low voice. “The situation has already spiraled out of control. Now is the time to act.”

“We must capture Elric before he escapes,” Alma added firmly.

Minerva swallowed. “What should I do?”

“Nothing,” Alma replied, shaking her head. “Until we capture that necromancer, you cannot risk being seen.”

“But rest assured,” she continued, her eyes hardening, “when this is over, we will hunt him down.”

With that, Green and Alma turned and left swiftly, heading toward the Federation Police headquarters. It had only been an hour since they had gone out merely to investigate Minerva’s claims.

Yet none of them had expected that the Grim Reaper and the Crimson Arc Guild would uncover such a deep secret.

And now, the entire town trembled on the edge of something far greater than anyone had anticipated.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep