...

Lawless and the others were currently wearing an expression that was pretty hard to explain. But one thing was for sure, they were looking at Shin as if they were saying how odd is he.

And when Shin saw their faces, he couldn't help but knit his brow. "Why are you guys looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?"

That was the time the others finally recovered themselves. And the first one the that talked to Shin was naturally the talkative Lawless. "Hahaha… I don't expect that you are also good at making negotiation? To think that you can bind those two all the way until they have no other choice but accept your deal."

Then Lawless thought for a moment before recounting what had happened. "Since you already know that they are quite desperate to find a place, you first give them a confident promise as if you can do what they want. After that, you throw a bitter cheese after a bitter cheese until they can't take it anymore."

"And when they are about to retaliate, you just follow it up with a reveal of a competitor. And with all of those, there was no way for them to not take your deal. What an evil guy you are. How about you join my team and be the one that is going to deal with these kinds of deals?"

And while saying all of that, Lawless put his right arm around Shin's neck as he also rubbed his left-arm palm at the latter's head.

Shin, on the other hand, just let it off before rejecting Lawless offer with a straight face while rebutting with his own offer together with some joking tone. "Nah~! I don't want to join your team. I am making my own. How about you join mine instead? Oh~! You can also invite brother Faker and other to tag along. I dun mind."

When Lawless immediately pushed Shin to the side while saying. "Nah~! Nevermind about it then."

Then he something suddenly sunk in his mind before saying. "Ah~! Now that I think about it, how about we do that instead? It is not a bad idea after all!"

He still wanted to say something more, but before he even managed to voice out his additional thoughts, Ravier suddenly cut in on their conversation. "Alright, enough with that fooling around. How about you tell us how do you manage to pull the Secret Society on your side?"

Shin smiled a little when he heard that and immediately replied. "Well, they are still not on my side since I'm still about to set a meeting with them. As for the how we met. Hmm… Well, there are some unexpected encounters when I am in the Battle Arena of Calderock Town."

"Alright, that is enough fooling around. Let's go back to my Town now so that we can start our preparations for our next quest. And the earlier we start that quest at hand, the earlier we could finish our quest. And that will make possible for us to join the upcoming event."

Shin wanted end that conversation with and about to take out a return scroll. But he suddenly stopped himself from doing that when he saw Simba was still lost with his thought. He knitted his brow a little before tapping Simba's right shoulder while saying. "Is the something wrong, Leo?"

Simba finally returned back to the reality when Shin did that. Then he turned his attention at Shin and asked carefully. "Shin Bro, why did you choose the Secret Society? Do you have any data regarding them? Or do you perhaps know who is their Commander?"

Shin paused for a moment before shrugging his shoulders before replying at Simba. "Well, their Adventurer Team is kind to fit to the criteria that I am need for a quest of mine. And I am not sure about the identity of their Commander. But since the name of their team rings the bell, I think I should try to gamble with them."

Simba forced a smile under his lion's head helm before saying to Shin. "I know that you already have a good guess on who is that. She keeps on bragging about that when we first met her."

"Oh~! I knew it! That is why it is so sounds familiar. So, it is really hers. Now, this is going to become interesting," muttered Shin while having a grin behind his mask.

"Ugh~! Shin Bro, can you change your mind? We can just choose another Adventurer Team. Actually, Eternal Hope is really not a bad choice," said Simba with a bitter tone.

Unfortunately, Shin just laughed at him and said. "Hahaha… What? Don't tell me that you are still distancing yourself from her? What a cruel guy. You should thank her instead since she is taking care of your, Lil' Sis. Though they are still like an oil and water at times."

Simba wanted to say something but Shin still continued and added. "Anyway, I can't take back words, can I? And having two decent Adventurer Team on our side is better than having a single one."

And Shin didn't give Simba a time to say something before taking a return scroll and saying to the latter. "Alright, that should be enough of talking. We better return now and make our preparations."

After that, he immediately ripped the scroll, making him to transform in to a stick of light a little later. And when the others saw that, they also took their return scrolls before following after Shin.

...

Meanwhile, as Shin and the others were busy with the things on their side. The other battles on the other sides of the forest near the Fallen Thirteenth Outpost were also just ended.

The swordsman that battle with Hoawin was currently standing in the middle of a devastated forest and scanning his surroundings while holding a pair silver longsword on both of his hands. The 'God of Carnage' was nowhere to be found.

And after a few more moments, the hooded person sheathed both of his swords on his waist when he confirmed that there were no more threats present in the vicinity. Then he took another look at his surroundings to do a double check before muttering to himself. "Looks like he manages to escape once again."

After that, he turned around and started walking away from the place. And his direction was towards the Holy City.

And when that swordsman finally out of the scene, a shadow beneath a fallen tree truck suddenly rose from the ground and form a figure of a person. A little later, Hoawin was shown once again.

Then he looked at the direction where the hooded person disappeared before muttering to himself. "Tch! This guy is becoming more and more scary the more time passes. I wonder about that foolish lizard. Is he the same level as this guy, or he have been left behind? Heh! We will see about it when I encounter him again."

Then a bunch shadows enfolded his body before disappearing into a place to who knows where.

...

At the same time, on another battlefield, the remnant members of the Butcher Team were currently fixing up themselves while being cautious of their surroundings.

Then place was pretty much a devasted forest too. Most of the trees on the place were cut down while their trucks were scattered all around the place. Kazuki, on the other hand, was currently standing on a pile of tree trucks while carefully scanning their surroundings.

And when everyone of them finally recovered from themselves, Kazuki finally hopped down from the tree before saying to them. "Looks like those guys are really gone. Tsk~! They manage to escape once again."

"Well, we can't put it that way. The fight is quite intense and close, so we really don't know who really win this time," said by the FoxKin Master Shaman.

The she immediately added after a slight pause. "And it is pretty much obvious that those guys are quite in a hurry so they can't focus entirely in the fight. Immortal probably give them an important task that they need to be done before anything else."

Kazuki nodded his head and replied. "Well, yeah. That is quite noticeable too. But we also haven't gone all out yet, so let's call it a draw for now."

"So, what are we going to do next? Base on the things that are currently happening, we know that whatever Immortal tell them to do it is pretty much related to the Holy City. Should we go after them?" asked by a Human Shield warrior of the group.

The FoxKin Master Shaman suddenly smirked and said. "Heh! Do you really need to ask about the obvious? Of course, we are going to chase after them. And since their target is the Holy City, we are going on that city obviously."

Kazuki nodded his head and said. "Well, it is decided then. So, let us use our return scrolls now since that was the case. Those guys are from the enemy function so they can't use the return scroll for the Holy City. And it was sure that they are going to manually sneak inside the City, so we can there first and wait for them to appear."

"You said it as if you are quite sure about what's going to happen. But how can you find them in such a huge city. Don't make it sound so simple and easy," said my Xychz while taking out a return scroll from his inventory.

"Heh! Don't worry much. Since those guys are planning something on the Holy City, there is only few places that they can target in. And one of those was obviously the palace of the city," said by the FoxKin Master Shaman as she took out a return scroll of her own.

Then she immediately ripped it off before saying. "Well, whatever they are planning, we are still going to make sure the mess with them. We need to avenge Big Sister at all cost."

Then she transformed into a stick of light a little later. And when she disappeared, the others followed after her one by one and became a stick of lights too.

...…