Chapter 517: Join My Black Water
At the main lobby of the inn, the few who were allowed inside all sat quietly.
Their eyes burned with anticipation and hidden excitement as they waited for the arrival of the person they had heard so much about.
Standing at the entrance that led to the upper floor, the Crimson Arc Guild members guarding the entrance puffed their chests out with pride.
They could all see the envious gazes directed toward them from the surrounding people.
Previously, many had looked down on their guild and regarded them as the weakest guild in Horn Lizard Town.
But now, those same people couldn’t wait to join them.
However, how could it be so easy to join their guild after everything they had been through?
Just as everyone was waiting calmly, the sound of footsteps came from the entrance. Instantly, everyone raised their heads and stared toward the entrance with burning gazes.
Solenne emerged from the entrance with the same stoic expression she always wore, her composure making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.
Behind her, Thoren appeared with an expressionless face. The moment the crowd saw Thoren, many suddenly did not know how to react before him.
Should they remain seated or stand?
Confusion immediately marred their faces as they began looking at one another.
Nobody wanted to make the wrong decision.
Who knew what might make the Grim Reaper furious?
For someone who had become the subject of countless terrifying rumors, even the simplest action suddenly felt like it required careful consideration.
Suddenly, one of them rose to his feet.
Seeing this, the others did not dare remain seated as they all quickly rose to their feet as well.
Chairs scraped against the floor one after another, creating a strange rhythm throughout the otherwise silent lobby.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody dared make a careless movement.
Watching their actions, Solenne couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.
’As expected. Without even speaking, they are already trembling in fear.’
Thoren watched their expressions without having any intention of asking them to sit. He did not need to act casual and friendly for them to like him.
Where he was today, he had earned his position through bloodshed. If anyone was going to act casually around him, they had to earn that privilege first.
His gaze wandered around the group, slowly passing across each face.
Some people lowered their heads the moment his eyes passed over them. Others tried desperately to maintain eye contact, only to look away after a few seconds.
Even the strongest among them could feel an invisible pressure settling over their shoulders. Then his gaze stopped at a corner.
Feeling his gaze, the Twins and their party couldn’t help but tremble.
The blue-haired woman who had confidently discussed the possibility of the Grim Reaper defeating the Scorpion Clan now felt her palms becoming slightly sweaty.
Her twin brother also stiffened beside her, his previous excitement replaced by a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.
Just feeling his gaze made their spines break out in cold sweat.
They had heard countless stories about the Grim Reaper. But none of those rumors had prepared them for the feeling of actually standing before him.
Now, they finally understood the pressure that came with facing the Grim Reaper.
Thud. Thud.
With slow, casual steps, Thoren walked toward them.
Each step was neither hurried nor threatening, yet the sound seemed unusually loud inside the silent lobby.
The closer he came, the heavier the atmosphere became.
Watching his approach, everyone held their breath and looked toward the Twins Party with complicated expressions.
Some were curious.
Some were envious.
Others were quietly relieved that they were not the ones being approached.
Nobody knew what Thoren wanted from them.
And nobody dared ask.
The Twins Party could only stand there and wait as the Grim Reaper slowly closed the distance between them.
Standing before them, he did not immediately begin to speak. He looked at the identical twins for a moment before his eyes fell on the other members of their party.
His calm gaze moved from one person to another, silently observing their expressions and reactions.
Slowly, he opened his mouth.
"Why did you help the Crimson Arc Guild?"
Listening to his question, the twins sucked in a cold breath.
The two exchanged a nervous glance before the female twin opened her mouth.
"We thought that was the best thing to do. Watching them on the brink of death without doing anything was not something we could overlook," she said slowly while trying to maintain her composure.
Her voice remained steady, but the slight tremble in her fingers betrayed the nervousness she was desperately trying to suppress.
"Is that so?"
His voice was flat, making it impossible for anyone to judge his emotions.
The simple question sent another wave of tension through the lobby.
"Who made the decision between you?"
"I did," she responded.
"Very well. I’ll give you one more chance to tell me why you helped the Crimson Arc Guild."
Listening to him, everyone inside the lobby widened their eyes slightly.
They could not wrap their heads around why the Grim Reaper was so insistent on knowing why the Twins Party had helped the Crimson Arc Guild.
Even Solenne and her guild members were also confused.
Solenne’s eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the exchange, but she made no attempt to interfere.
Still, everyone knew better than to meddle in Thoren’s business.
When the Twins Party heard his words, their hearts dropped.
How could they not tell that the Grim Reaper had already set his eyes on them?
Fear and panic gripped their hearts like a vice.
One of them even swallowed nervously, his throat suddenly feeling dry as his mind raced through countless possibilities.
Some were already regretting coming to see the Grim Reaper.
As for fighting the Grim Reaper, they did not even think about it.
That thought was simply absurd.
Standing against someone who had destroyed both the Horn Lizard King and the Scorpion King was no different from throwing their lives away.
Staring into Thoren’s eyes for a moment, the female twin saw something that made her heart skip a beat.
Her instincts warned her not to lie to him.
Beneath his calm blue eyes, she could sense a dormant power waiting to erupt.
It was as if the terrifying force within him did not need to reveal itself because he was already completely confident that he could deal with anything standing before him.
Her palms became slightly sweaty.
She took a slow breath through her nose and forced herself to calm her racing heart.
Then she steeled her resolve and answered honestly.
"My gut feeling told me to help them, and that there was a golden opportunity if we helped them."
A slow, heavy breath escaped through her nose as she gathered herself.
"This is the real reason why I decided to join the battle for a chance at that golden opportunity."
Thoren remained silent for a moment.
His blue eyes stayed fixed on her, seemingly weighing every word she had spoken.
Then he nodded.
"So, what does your gut tell you right now?"
Hmm?
She raised her brow in confusion.
The question caught her completely off guard.
Her lips parted slightly as she tried to understand what he meant, while the other members of her party exchanged confused glances.
Before she could even process his words, he continued.
"Join my Black Water, you and your party."
Silence.
Absolute silence descended over the entire lobby.
The female twin’s eyes widened.
Her twin brother froze.
The other members of the Twins Party stared at Thoren as though they had suddenly stopped understanding the human language.
Even Solenne’s calm expression changed slightly.
Nobody had expected that answer.