It was nearly noon when Kael woke up. Between the siege and pulling an all-nighter to guard Cade during the nexus repair, he hadn't eaten in fourteen hours. He was famished and dizzy.

  Remembering the auction, he quickly ate lunch and logged back into the game. The moment he appeared, he was flooded with a long list of messages.

  The first was from Elon.

  Elon: Boss, the Sunfire Bell auction was a massive success! I've sent you a detailed list of the final sales.

  Elon: Also, my classmate would like to schedule a meeting with you. The time and place are at your discretion.

  Kael decided to review the auction results before replying.

  [Experience Crystals]: Sold for $60,000,000 to Eclipse_Raven.

  He already knew about the crystals; Elon had told him they were an accidental find from a player who was fishing. Kael stroked his chin as he looked at the buyer’s name.

  Eclipse_Raven… That must be for Eclipse_Blackthorn. He needs to hit level 25 to upgrade his [Domain of Torment] skill. In some ways, Kael thought, that skill was even more terrifying than the Sunfire Bell. Its buffs and debuffs were just as potent. For their guild, the instant XP was a better strategic investment.

  [Van Tassel's Dream]: Blacksmith Class Advancement Letter. Sold for $5,000,000.

  This was, without a doubt, the item from the chest Nyxar had stolen. A flash of anger sparked in Kael, but it faded as quickly as it came. He remembered the scene where Nyxar’s skill acquisition was botched, and a smirk played on his lips.

  Heh. You got your five million dollars, Nyxar, but you crippled the potential of your [Thievery] skill forever. That’s a far greater loss.

  Next, Kael saw the final price for the Sunfire Bell and his jaw dropped. When he saw the buyer, his surprise turned to amusement.

  Caleb Mordant. Interesting.

  Finally, Kael checked the finances. The Sunfire Bell and its manual sold for a combined 2.6 billion. After the 20% commission (10% to the system, 10% to Elon), that left 2.08 billion. Subtracting another 5 million for marketing expenses, the grand total came to $2,075,000,000.

  Kael knew that if he had just listed the Bell on the system auction house himself, it never would have reached such a staggering price. Elon’s showmanship had been absolutely essential.

  Thinking of the meeting, Kael considered it for a moment, then typed out a reply.

  Kael: Tomorrow night. 'The Chairman's Reserve' in Houston.

  Elon’s response was immediate.

  Elon: Understood, boss.

  Kael was confident the results of this auction were more than enough to prove his value. He closed the chat with Elon and opened his messages from Rena.

  Rena: Where’s the guild leader?

  Rena: Lila’s not answering her phone. Do you think something happened to her?

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Kael smiled faintly and shook his head as he typed.

  Kael: I'm not sure either.

  Lila hadn’t told him where she was going, and he wasn’t about to speculate.

  What he did know was that Caleb was already incapacitated in the real world and couldn’t pose a direct threat to her.

  The pressure weighing on Lila most likely came from her parents. Some things she had to handle on her own. Besides, this wasn’t the right moment to step in—acting rashly would only backfire.

  After clearing his messages, Kael walked to the teleport nexus. The option to travel from Stonehaven to Starlight Village was gone, replaced by a new destination: Beryl Creek.

  He selected it. In a flash of light, he arrived.

  Kael looked around, amazed at the transformation. The once-desolate ruins were now bustling with a sea of players, most of whom he recognized from the Starlight Village siege. The streets and buildings of Beryl Creek were already being rebuilt. The framework for a general store, a weapon shop, and a tavern were all taking shape.

  The largest building, still under construction in the center of town, had a strange plaque on it:

  [Property of the Savior of Beryl Creek]

  Kael blinked. That was his title. Was this a surprise from the system?

  Just then, an NPC approached him. “Patron! You’ve returned!”

  Kael smiled. It was Cade, and above his head was a new title: Chief.

  “Cade, congratulations on the promotion,” Kael said warmly.

  Cade’s face was flush with pride. He scratched his head sheepishly. “Anthony was supposed to take the position, but he said I was younger and had more drive, so he nominated me instead.”

  It made sense to Kael. He pointed to the large building in the center of the street. “What’s that all about?”

  “This street is going to be Beryl Creek’s main commercial district,” Cade explained. “That building is our gift to you, a small token of our gratitude. Please, you must accept it.”

  A system notification appeared.

  The Chief of Beryl Creek wishes to gift you a commercial building. Do you accept?

  “Accept.”

  Kael wasn't about to be modest with an NPC. Given what he’d done for the village, they could have given him the whole street and it wouldn't have been too much.

  Seeing Kael accept, Cade beamed. “Thank you also for bringing so many adventurers to our village. We’ve been giving the most important tasks to those from Starlight Village. The others… we give them odd jobs.”

  Kael nodded. The implication was clear: the 50,000 players from Starlight were receiving higher-tier quests.

  To avoid unwanted attention, he discreetly switched his displayed ID to “Dawnbreaker.”

  Out in the wider world, Dawnbreaker was a wanted name with a red, high-infamy tag. But in Starlight Village and Beryl Creek, it was just a name. His Infamy score meant nothing on his own turf.

  Oddly, Cade didn't react to the name change at all, still addressing him as Patron. It seemed the NPCs in these two villages knew exactly who he was, regardless of the alias.

  As he stood there, a few players walked past, chatting excitedly.

  “Haha, I totally hit the jackpot! 100,000 experience just for pulling weeds!”

  “You’re telling me! I was chopping wood and the system just gave me a level 20 Rare item!”

  A third player chimed in, confused. “Huh? Why are your rewards so good? Mine are the same as everywhere else.”

  “Heh, check the title, buddy!” one of the others said, puffing out his chest.

  [Member of Starlight Village]

  “What’s Starlight Village got to do with Beryl Creek?”

  “Haha, you’re out of the loop! Beryl Creek was re-established by the Fourth Chieftain of Starlight Village himself!”

  “The Fourth Chieftain? Who’s that?”

  “Ullr! You don’t know who Ullr is? Why are you even here?”

  “Oh, him. Yeah, I know him.”

  A sense of satisfaction washed over Kael as he saw the players who had fought alongside him receiving their due. He grew curious about what kind of task the system might have for him.

  He turned back to Cade. “Is there anything I can help with?”

  At Kael’s question, Cade’s cheerful expression immediately clouded over with worry. He sighed.

  “In the southwest corner of our lands, there is a place we call the Verdant Pool.”

  Kael nodded, listening intently.

  “The pool and the lands around it were once our farms. They are vital to our survival.”

  No quest prompt had appeared yet; Cade wasn't finished.

  “Reclaiming the surface is one thing. But the real problem is at the bottom of the Verdant Pool. There is an underwater cavern that holds our ancestral heritage. It has been overrun by monsters. Can you help us drive them out?”

  Finally, the notification Kael had been waiting for arrived.

  System: A new quest is available. Enter the underwater cavern in the Verdant Pool, clear out the monsters, and reclaim the villagers' lost heritage.

  Warning: The difficulty of this area is extremely high for you.

  It is recommended to bring a team. Maximum party size: 10.