Chapter 518: The Rants
"Did you hear we can now enter Scorpion City?"
"Of course I heard. I even heard we can visit their library and find clues to our trials."
"Really?! How is that possible?"
"Do you need to ask? It is the Grim Reaper."
"How did he do it?"
Inside Horn Lizard Town, people gathered in twos and threes, talking about the earth-shaking news.
At first, many did not believe the news, but with each passing moment, as the information spread throughout the town, more people began to accept it.
The truth about the news was eventually confirmed when members of the Crimson Arc Guild publicly confirmed it.
The moment the confirmation spread, excitement swept through the town like wildfire.
Inside the biggest tavern, humans and Beastmen were drinking their rum with gusto.
The previously noisy atmosphere had become even more energetic as people discussed the implications of the news.
"Who would have thought the Grim Reaper would bring such a change to the Bleeding Desert?" a short man shouted, slamming his mug onto the wooden table.
The loud bang caused several people nearby to turn their heads toward him.
"As of today, I’m a die-hard fan of the Grim Reaper."
"Agreed."
"Absolutely!"
"Who wouldn’t be?"
Many couldn’t help but nod in agreement.
The greatest obstacle for many awakeners was not having enough strength, but being unable to find clues for their trials.
Some had even lost hope of completing their trials and had begun living normal lives on the Bleeding Desert.
They had spent years exploring ruins, hunting monsters, and searching for clues, only to repeatedly return empty-handed.
For some, the dream of returning to the surface had slowly faded until they no longer believed it was possible.
But who would have thought the Grim Reaper would change that?
Most tales about the Grim Reaper were about his undead’s brutal killing.
His mercilessness.
His cruelty.
His overwhelming strength.
Yet this change surprised everyone.
Awakeners who had lost hope of completing their trials and returning to the surface were suddenly filled with joy.
Some even struggled to contain their excitement as they imagined finally obtaining the clues they had spent years searching for.
Those who had spent years on the Bleeding Desert could not wait to start hunting again.
The prospect of accessing the Scorpion Clan’s library had reignited ambitions that many had already buried deep within their hearts.
For the first time in years, they could see a genuine path forward.
Just then, a woman spoke with ridicule.
"You’re talking about the Grim Reaper as if he were some kind of king."
"Hmm?"
"Have you thought about the ticket fee?"
Her words instantly caused several people to pause.
"Goddammit! Five thousand gold coins. Where in hell are we going to earn that?"
"That damn bastard is nothing but a profiteer. He is more horrible than I expected."
Listening to her rant, everyone inside the tavern stopped their actions.
Mugs hung frozen in the air.
Servers stopped in their tracks.
Even those who were already drunk seemed to experience a sudden moment of clarity.
The lively atmosphere gradually became quiet as everyone turned their heads toward the woman with various expressions.
"What? Do you think he would kill me just because I said the obvious?" she shrugged, completely unbothered by the threat of the Grim Reaper.
"So, you’re saying the Grim Reaper should have made it free, is that it?" another woman asked, her voice dangerously low.
"Yes." The first woman nodded without hesitation.
"We’re all fighting for the same thing. Moreover, we are all human. How could he be so selfish and try to profit from our plight?"
Her voice dripped with jealousy, entitlement, and anger as she openly complained.
"Now, I understand why the Slave Trade Guild hunts some people for their crazy experiments," the woman draped in a black robe said casually.
"We all know the Slave Trade Guild had access to Scorpion City, but no one dared to challenge them while they kept it for themselves."
"Many who wanted to complete their trials had no choice but to become their dogs. Yet, I never heard of your outrage or saw you stand up to fight them."
"What am I even saying?"
Bang!
She slammed her mug onto the table with enough force to make the rum inside splash over the rim.
"When the Crimson Arc Guild was waging war against the Horn Lizard Soldiers, where were you?"
Her voice rose sharply, and the atmosphere inside the tavern grew increasingly tense.
"When the Grim Reaper took on the whole Horn Lizard Clan and their king all by himself, where were you?"
At this juncture, she was already shouting.
Her rage was boiling, and her killing intent was overflowing from her body like an invisible tide.
The pressure spreading from her caused several nearby awakeners to instinctively straighten their backs.
At this moment, everyone realized she was a powerful Level 37 Assassin.
Even the people who had been drinking and laughing moments ago could now feel the difference between themselves and the woman standing before them.
"You self-centered bitch sat here ranting like a beast about what others should do with what they earned through their blood and sweat."
"The water they used to make this alcohol came from the Grim Reaper. Even your new robes came from him."
"Without him, even if you had all the money in this world, it would be useless."
"Yet, you dare blame him and call him a profiteer?"
Her voice reached a crescendo.
Every word struck the tavern like a heavy hammer, leaving no room for anyone to interrupt her.
The tavern became deadly quiet as everyone held their breath.
Even the tavern owner remained frozen behind the counter, his expression becoming unusually serious as he watched the confrontation unfold.
Even the woman who started all this couldn’t help but tremble in her seat.
The arrogance that had filled her face earlier had completely disappeared.
Her fingers tightened around her mug, but the strength had already left her hands.
She slowly looked at the Level 37 Assassin standing before her.
For the first time, she realized she might have gone too far.
Whoosh!
Before anyone could even realize what was happening, the Level 37 Assassin vanished from her spot.
Her movement was so fast that several people only saw a faint blur flash across the tavern.
In the next instant, she appeared directly before the other woman.
Bang!
A powerful fist slammed into the woman’s face.
Crack!
The impact broke her nose instantly, sending blood spraying across the air as her body was launched backward.
Boom!