Chapter 522: Pawns
At the heart of the cave tunnel was a massive cavern that was brightly lit, with members of the Slave Trade Guild gathered throughout the enormous chamber with pensive expressions.
"Who knows what is going on?"
"I heard we’re being attacked?"
"How is that possible?"
They whispered among themselves, their expressions filled with shock and disbelief.
Many refused to believe they were being attacked.
This was the cursed land, a place where no living creature could be found for miles.
As for humans or Beastmen, they would not survive for long without the protection provided by the special robes.
Thus, how could they possibly be attacked when no one could survive without their help?
The thought alone made the situation difficult for many of them to comprehend.
Just as the group was deliberating and arguing among themselves, three figures stepped out from one of the small cave entrances surrounding the cavern walls.
The sudden appearance of the three figures immediately drew everyone’s attention.
These were the three Directors under the command of the Holy Son, making them the highest authorities currently present within the hideout.
Their expressions were calm, but the atmosphere around them carried an unmistakable sense of authority.
"Director, is it true that we are under attack?" a woman asked skeptically, her voice carrying a trace of disbelief.
The thin man among the three Directors turned his head and looked at her.
"Yes." He nodded without attempting to hide the truth.
"An enemy has already entered the outer tunnels."
His confirmation immediately caused another wave of unease to spread throughout the cavern.
There was no point concealing the situation any longer.
With the enemy already at their doorstep, everyone needed to prepare themselves and eliminate the intruder before the situation became impossible to control.
Receiving the confirmation, those who had previously refused to believe they were under attack were stunned.
Their hearts trembled.
Cold sweat slowly trickled down their backs.
Some exchanged nervous glances while others instinctively tightened their grips around their weapons.
Looking at the sudden change in the atmosphere, the only woman among the three Directors finally spoke.
"You don’t need to worry."
"Although this has never happened before, we don’t need to be alarmed."
Her calm voice immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
"It is not as though we are some weak and ordinary humans."
"No matter who they are, I believe they must have exhausted a considerable amount of their strength just to arrive at our hideout."
Listening to her words, many couldn’t help but nod.
They all knew how strange and bizarre the cursed land was.
The environment alone was enough to kill ordinary humans and Beastmen who entered without proper protection.
The oppressive atmosphere, strange spatial phenomena, and dangerous terrain made every step through the cursed land a battle for survival.
Therefore, they naturally assumed that anyone who had managed to reach their hideout must have paid an enormous price along the way.
Just as the female Director had said, their enemies must have already exhausted much of their strength simply by surviving the journey.
When the female Director noticed that the atmosphere had gradually returned to normal, a faint smile appeared on her face.
Thus, she continued speaking with greater confidence.
"Now that our guards are trying to hold back the enemies, what we must do is provide support for them."
"We must show our enemies who truly rule the Bleeding Desert."
"I promise you, after this ordeal, your names and contributions will all be reported to the Holy Son."
When the crowd heard that their names would be reported directly to the Holy Son, their eyes burned with determination and excitement.
The previous fear that had lingered in their hearts was quickly replaced by renewed confidence.
For everyone present, being personally acknowledged by the Holy Son was an honor beyond anything they could easily imagine.
"Also, we all know some of you have contributed immensely to the guild. After this, you shall all be rewarded, and clues to your trials shall be distributed."
She dangled one more enticing promise before them, deliberately targeting their deepest desire shared by everyone trapped within the Bleeding Desert.
"Director, are you telling the truth?" A young man couldn’t help but ask, his voice carrying a mixture of excitement and disbelief.
"Have I ever lied to you?" She looked directly into his eyes, her expression firm and confident.
"This is coming directly from the Holy Son."
Listening to her, all the doubts in their minds vanished immediately.
The most respected and powerful person within their guild was the Holy Son.
And now that their Holy Son had personally promised them rewards and clues regarding their trials, they had nothing left to fear.
Instantly, excitement and anticipation filled their hearts.
Many had already begun fantasizing about the day they would finally leave the Bleeding Desert and return to the surface.
Some imagined seeing their families again.
Others imagined the freedom they would finally enjoy after spending years trapped on the second floor.
Watching the smiles spread across their faces, the three Directors exchanged knowing glances and quietly breathed sighs of relief.
Now, with everyone motivated by the promise of rewards, that problem had been solved.
Quickly, they began dividing the people and planning how to defend their hideout.
With the promise of receiving their rewards and clues for their trials, everyone moved with firm determination.
Several members rushed toward the tunnels while others gathered near the central cavern, ready to respond to any attack.
With everything seemingly back on track, the three Directors quietly left the cavern and returned deeper into the cave.
The moment they were far enough from the others, the confident expressions on their faces disappeared.
"We need to leave. I have a bad feeling about this," the third man said in a grave voice.
"I agree. We know that for anyone to brave the mysterious power of the cursed land, he must be far from ordinary. We need to move now," the thin man added.
His voice was low, but the urgency within it was unmistakable.
"Of course. What do you think I’ve been doing? With this attack, we can use this opportunity to leave this place before it is too late," the woman said seriously.
She glanced behind them toward the cavern they had just left.
"And when we meet the Holy Son and the others, we can explain to them about the attack."
Listening to her, the two men couldn’t help but nod. This was also what they had been thinking.
None of them wanted to remain behind and discover the true strength of the mysterious intruder.
"Good. Let’s make preparations and depart immediately," the thin man said.
The others nodded and rushed toward their respective caves to pack all the necessary materials for their departure.
As for what would happen to the others, they did not care.
Everyone who joined the Slave Trade Guild was selfish to begin with.
Everyone was ultimately fighting for themselves.
And now that danger had arrived at their doorstep, they wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice others to secure their own survival.
To them, the hundreds of members remaining inside the cavern were nothing more than expendable pieces.
If those people could buy them enough time to escape, then their sacrifice would be worth it.