"Sir, when will they go for the hunt?" Sogen asked.
"Tomorrow," Mr. Rudriger replied.
"Sir, can I get two days off?" Sogen requested.
At first, Mr. Rudriger was confused, but then his sad face lit up.
"Boy, are you thinking of stealing their prey from them? Even if I tell you not to go, you will still go. I can't stop you, but be careful and hide your identity. Be prepared for all the consequences that may arise."
"Yes, sir," Sogen said and went to his room.
Mr. Rudriger continued to think about Sogen.
"Where does this boy get so much courage? He's even ready to oppose a sect by himself. His clan leader and elders must be fools to banish such talent from their clan," Mr. Rudriger muttered.
In his room, Sogen checked his system shop. "If I could make the Earth Elusive Potion, then I would reach the Earth Realm 5th Mid Stage directly. It would also strengthen my body and help me break through to the King Realm."
Suddenly, someone knocked on Sogen's door. He stood up from his bed and opened it.
"Sir, why are you here? Is there any problem?" he asked.
"Boy, I know that even if I try to stop you, you will still go to steal their prey. I don't want to stop you because I understand that the more they gain, the more the townspeople will suffer. I can't help you much, but you can take this weapon," Mr. Rudriger said, holding out a weapon.
It was a long chain with a blade on its end, looking quite shabby.
"Sir, this weapon looks very worn, but it is made of rare materials and cold iron," Sogen said in amazement. He paused to think for a moment.
"Sir, this is a very expensive item. I can't take it from you. The techniques you've given me were costly, but I can return them to you after I've learned. However, this weapon is still a weapon. What will happen if it breaks?" Sogen questioned.
"Boy, I will not ask for any compensation if it breaks. If you succeed in your mission of stealing the Ember Core, it will be yours. Its name is Dark Shadow Blade, and once you master it in darkness, you will understand its power. But remember one thing: never let them know your true identity," Mr. Rudriger instructed.
Sogen took the weapon from Mr. Rudriger and nodded. Mr. Rudriger then returned to his workshop. Sogen examined the weapon for a moment before storing it in his system inventory. He resumed browsing items in the system shop.
"Yes! This is it! At last, I found something useful. This mask, I want to purchase it," he declared.
He clicked on 'purchase.'
"Hidden Face, Item Type: Mask, Cost: 1000 system coins. Does the host want to purchase it?"
"Hidden Face: A mask that easily hides its owner's identity; even great and powerful cultivators are unable to see through it."
Sogen clicked 'confirm,' and the mask appeared in his hands.
He inspected the mask for a moment before putting it on. There was a small mirror in his room, and as he looked at his reflection, he was shocked at how natural the mask looked. Even a nearby cultivator would find it hard to tell it was a mask and not his real face.
He continued browsing the system shop and said, "All the herbs needed for the Earth Elusive Potion are here, and I can afford them."
As he was about to close the system, he noticed a black dress and clicked for details.
"Stealth Suit (Grade 2): Passive Effect: Hides the user's presence and breathing. Special Effects: Makes the user invisible for 15 seconds. Cooldown time: 4 hours."
"I have never heard of a Numerical Grade Classification, but its effects are truly impressive. Its cost is 30,000 system coins," Sogen stated.
He purchased the item and tried it on. He stood before the mirror, and a smile appeared on his face as there was no reflection of him in the glass. He then removed the Stealth Suit, stored it in his system inventory, and went to sleep.
**The Next Day**
Some people were chasing an Ember Serpent.
"Everyone listen carefully! Don't go near this serpent; it will strangle you with its tail. We have already lost many men to this serpent, but it's also injured. We must not let it escape," a person warned.
He was the leader of the group pursuing the Ember Serpent.
Everyone agreed.
But suddenly, the Ember Serpent hurled a green flame towards them, severely burning two men. Although they were still alive, they were left in excruciating pain.
"What a hassle! I have already lost many men to this serpent. If we approach it, we risk being strangled, and if we keep our distance, it throws its Toxic Fire at us," the group leader sighed.
Suddenly, a person shouted, "Sir Vilkan, these two are still alive! If we help them now, they can survive. We should assist them and take them to the nearest doctor."
"Leave them be," Vilkan replied curtly.
"But..."
Before the man could speak, he was interrupted by Vilkan, who said, "Just shut up and follow me. Do you know how many men we have already lost to this serpent? What if we go to help these people and the serpent escapes? All our hard work will turn to dust, so stop dwelling on these small insects. They came here knowing the danger; it was their own fault if they die. These insects serve as sacrifices for us, so just follow me."
The man was seething with anger after hearing Vilkan's words, but he was powerless to act since Vilkan was much more powerful and had already paid them a substantial amount of money. Yet, money was not more precious than their lives.
In reality, there were two teams hunting the monster. The first was Vilkan's team, and the second comprised various small groups hired by him. Although it was their job to assist in the hunt, they were being used as cannon fodder for the monster, treated as sacrifices. Members of Vilkan's team were not even attacking effectively; they weren't charging forward to confront the monster at all.