CHAPTER 134: CH-134

The next day, I went to wake Hai-Min myself.

Before reaching her door, the bell echoed through the camp. That sound pulled me toward the watchtower by the gate.

"Sir, we spotted another group. I think they’re the rescue team," the guard reported.

A large formation moved across the field. Hundreds of geared Seekers marched in front, followed by people in white suits that looked like hazmat gear.

They carried chainsaws and other tools, ready to deal with anything crawling out of this place.

Based on my memories, the ones in white suits were the cleaners. Their job was simple but nasty. They cut up monster corpses and salvaged the useful parts, especially from giants like floor bosses.

We opened the gate to welcome them, and they all looked confused.

None of them seemed to expect survivors, let alone a fully functioning sanctuary.

The people in the camp started murmuring names.

"That’s Aaron, an S-Rank from the Phoenix Guild."

"Yes, and beside him is Reza, the vice leader of Phoenix Guild. I heard she just reached S Rank this year."

"Look, that’s Mist, S-Rank from Nebula."

In total, three high-ranking Seekers from the association came for the rescue. Pretty small, in my opinion—no wonder it took them so long to arrive.

Then I remembered what Amanda and Adam said.

Guilds squabbled over who would claim the tower first. No wonder the rescue took days. Saving survivors clearly wasn’t at the top of their list.

In the end, money and personal gain mattered more than the lives of random people.

Hai-Min grabbed my sleeve. Her face fell when she noticed that her sister never came for her.

"Don’t worry. Maybe she got tied up with something important," I patted her hair to soothe her. It was painfully obvious, though, that what I was doing was just putting a bandage on a stab wound.

"No." She shook her head. "Big Sis never cared about me... I was always a disappointment to her."

Her eyes dropped, and something in me pulled tight. "Then forget her. You’ve got me now, don’t you?"

A small smile spread across her face, and she nodded, a little more energy returning.

The rescue team watched us with interest, and only after everyone had gathered did they speak.

"Who’s the leader here?" asked the man in the red and white fitted battle suit.

It turned out to be Aaron. His gear said enough—he looked like someone who fought with his fists, shown by the metal gloves strapped to his hands.

"I am," Adam stepped forward. "It was someone else at first, but he died during the boss raid."

Aaron’s eyes narrowed. "You’re saying an S Rank was with your group?"

"Yes," Adam replied. "But we don’t know his name. He wasn’t on the official list either, and he refused to tell us anything. He only asked for help to kill the boss."

Aaron raised an eyebrow, though it was clear he already knew that most S-Ranks didn’t belong to the Seeker Association.

"Alright, tell me exactly what happened."

Adam went on to share my version of the story.

Aaron’s eyes widened, and the other S-Ranks exchanged looks, recognizing that fan-wielding guy.

"Could it be... the unlisted S Ranker from Mythical?" Reza whispered, but my enhanced senses caught every word

She looked to be in her thirties, wearing a sleek crimson battle robe with glowing circuits running along the seams. A high-tech staff hummed faintly in her hand, its lights matching the vibrant orange of her hair.

Aaron nodded. "I think so. But how could he die? Rumor says he carries a celestial weapon."

Reza shrugged. "You know Mythical—they’re not exactly trustworthy. They could just be spreading nonsense to pressure the guilds in our city."

"Still, that doesn’t make any sense. If he didn’t have a celestial weapon, fighting the boss with only one S-Rank was suicide. We should check the survivors—they might have taken it after he died."

They looked at us with suspicion, but none of them found even a hint of a lie on our faces.

"Give us the floor boss’s location. My team will escort you out of the tower."

Adam straightened and cleared his throat. "Before we go any further. I want to make one thing clear."

All eyes turned toward him, curiosity and tension hanging in the air.

"The loot from the boss raid is rightfully ours. We sacrificed a lot of people to take it down, and we dealt the final blow."

Aaron’s face turned serious. " We don’t get to decide that. The Association does. And don’t forget—we spent a lot just getting you out of here."

Just as expected, they were playing that card against us.

Luckily, I already hidden all my important items. Even the monkey paw—I stashed it away in case we got inspected.

"But—" Adam tried to speak, but Aaron’s aura hit him before any word slipped out. The force tossed him back.

"All of you, go register your names. After that, you’ll be asked about what happened and get checked by the staff. Don’t try to hide anything from us," he said, his tone leaving no room to argue.

We didn’t resist and I wasn’t worried at all. I already tampered with the boss chamber to make it look like the attack came from a wind user.

Even if Mythical investigated, they would probably just assume one of their members was careless and died.

I blended in with the crowd alongside Hai-Min and Amanda as we listed our names. When it was my turn, the female staff’s eyes widened.

"Mr. Mercer! We’re glad you survived. You’re on our VIP list—please come with us. We have a separate line for you."

I just smiled. "No need. I’ll follow the rules like everyone else. "

She didn’t ask any more questions, and the line slowly edged forward.

They checked for hidden items, but we passed without a hitch.

Then the interviews began. Most of the questions circled around the boss raid. They wanted to see if our stories lined up.

"Everything seems fine," the officer said. "But someone from the Association might drop by once you’re outside for clarification."

I smiled and nodded. I was already two steps ahead.