Chapter 204 Class C Offering Box

A cup shattered on the marble floor, sending shards everywhere and hitting a glass bead on a nearby sculpture with a sharp sound.

"I gave you so many days, and this is what you come up with?" a furious voice demanded.

An elderly man, relying on a lavish wooden cane for support, glared menacingly at the individual before him, emanating an intense desire to inflict harm.

If one ignored the chaos outside the high-rise window and just looked at the solid wood conference table, leather sofas, an open bottle of Martell's 300th Anniversary Master Edition cognac, and the old man's spotless suit, one would never guess it had been over a month since the apocalypse started.

"Mr. Cox, I know Philip's death has been tough, but what's done is done. We shouldn't rush. As long as Philip and Archer's killers are alive, we can find them. It's the apocalypse; they can't have gone far," another voice said, trying to comfort the old man.

A middle-aged man at the conference table raised his glass, took a sip, and looked at the old man with a hint of schadenfreude.

"It's not your family member who died, so of course you're not in a hurry," the old man snapped.

"You're not the only one with family, are you?" the middle-aged man mocked.

"Warren!" the old man roared.

The two men glared at each other, the tension thick.

Barry, standing to the side, wiped the sweat from his forehead. Usually composed, he was genuinely scared. The old man was Philip's father, Dillon Cox, one of the five major powers of the Royal Guild, a formidable one-star professional. Dillon's strength was something Barry, a support-role Pharmacist, couldn't challenge.

Barry was expected to offer support but failed to arrive on time, resulting in the unfortunate demise of Philip, Archer, and Guise. He wasn't entirely to blame, but he couldn't escape responsibility. If Dillon decided to kill Barry, he probably wouldn't hesitate.

Luckily, Warren Powell was still protective of Barry.

"Enough!" another voice commanded.

The individual at the center donned a mask with a pale base, adorned with four uneven black circles as facial features, emanating an eerie and unsettling aura.

He was the leader of the Royal Guild. Only the other four leaders knew his identity. Barry, a minor leader, knew nothing.

Everyone's eyes were on the masked leader, who, judging by his voice, didn't seem very old.

"Keep looking for these people. We must find the Staff of Nature." The leader tapped the table with his ringed hand, his tone grim. "The people from Zero Commerce Guild have arrived. This time, the trade list includes a two-star Evolution Elixir, something I believe everyone wants."

The other four leaders and their subordinates started whispering among themselves. The allure of a two-star elixir was too great.

Among the leaders, only the guild leader was a two-star Evolving person. How did they get this two-star Evolution Elixir? What did the Royal Guild sacrifice? Only the leaders knew!

They got it by sacrificing the entire guild's interests! If they hadn't lucked out with a Colorful Roulette, the Royal Guild's strength, aside from the two-star Evolving person and some one-star Evolving persons, wouldn't even match some well-known survivor teams out there.

"Without the Staff of Nature, what do they want this time?" Warren asked, clearly interested in the two-star Evolution Elixir. The other leaders felt the same; everyone wanted to become a two-star Evolving person ASAP.

The leader thought for a moment. "People, a lot of people."

The leaders exchanged puzzled looks.

"People?"

"Why do they want people?"

"In the apocalypse, ordinary people are useless, just consuming food and possibly causing trouble. Every power recruits ordinary people cautiously, never more than they can handle."

"Even though many have mutated, been killed, infected, or eaten, a lot still survive. Recruiting people shouldn't be hard. You can find dozens or more in a day just by searching the city."

"What does the Zero Commerce Guild, which everyone fears, want with people?"

"Last time, the two-star Evolution Elixir was traded for Essence Stones, glowing equipment, one-star Evolution Elixirs, and immunity potions. Why people this time?"

"How many do they want?" another vice president asked softly.

"If it's ordinary people, they want twenty thousand. If it's one-star Evolving persons, one one-star Evolving person equals a thousand people," the guild leader replied.

"They want Evolving persons too?" Dillon, Philip's father, asked.

"What are they up to?" someone wondered aloud.

"They shouldn't be short on Evolution Elixirs, right? I heard they control over a dozen roulettes," another person said.

"Are they expanding their army?" someone guessed.

"Doesn't that put us in danger?" a voice asked, worried.

The room buzzed with discussion. In the apocalypse, the first instinct in such situations was a sense of crisis, which was normal.

"Shut up!" The masked leader growled, and everyone instantly fell silent.

The leader said, "Although we found a two-star roulette and paid a huge price to occupy it, spinning the roulette requires a level-two Magic Crystal. We can only spin it two or three times a week. In the past half month, we haven't obtained a single two-star elixir."

He paused. "Not only did we fail to get a two-star Evolution Elixir, but the explosion of the Colorful Roulette caused us heavy losses. The deaths of Philip and Archer further weakened us. We need to focus on increasing our strength, not on understanding why Zero Commerce Guild needs people! Got it?"

Everyone nodded.

He urged sternly, "Then go do it now. You have five days to find twenty thousand people."

Warren frowned and said softly, "Leader, isn't the time a bit tight? The outside is full of dangers, and we don't have many people. Capturing twenty thousand people in less than a week is a bit..."

The masked leader didn't respond right away. He picked up his glass, swirled the liquid, and said slowly, "We've been polite to some settlements, trading for good things that could be exchanged for two-star Evolution Elixirs. But now, it means nothing. The items are gone, and the settlements are no longer under our control. So, no more politeness."

"How about starting with Redwood County?" he suggested chillingly.

William had gained a lot in the Land of Death, but his mood soured when he heard the name "Zero Commerce Guild."

He didn't tell anyone why. Without experiencing it firsthand, no one could understand what the Zero Commerce Guild, synonymous with bloodshed and inhumanity for ten years in the apocalypse, truly meant.

If he had to describe them in a few words, it would be a bunch of beasts.

Anyone who survived ten years in the apocalypse had blood on their hands, and calling them executioners wouldn't be an exaggeration. To be called beasts by such people, you can imagine the Zero Commerce Guild's reputation.

What William didn't expect was that just as he arrived here, the Zero Commerce Guild also showed up. If he could, he really didn't want to encounter this giant from his past life so soon.

However, the Zero Commerce Guild that created the beasts also forged a resolute William. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't provoke them at this stage. But he knew that sometimes things happen regardless of his intentions, so he prepared thoroughly. If a conflict arose, he would hit them hard in retaliation.

So he decided to use the Sacrificial Gate after his big haul in the Land of Death, even though it felt a bit wasteful.

Retrieving the golden epic equipment, he examined the energy line within the crystal, which remained at the same level as before. Determined, he proceeded to infuse a substantial amount of materials into it.

These were all harvested from the valley, but William was selective. He kept the materials that could be used to make armor-piercing rounds, as their utility in the next year would sometimes surpass that of the Edge of the Moon.

He threw the materials, almost all exchanged for Natural crystals, one by one into the Sacrificial Gate. To claim that he didn't experience a twinge of regret would be dishonest. These items would undoubtedly be useful in the future, especially since William was a craftsman who might need them someday.

Watching the energy line in the crystal on the Sacrificial Gate rise, William felt a mix of heartache and satisfaction.

Maybe he was the only one using golden equipment right now.

Even after throwing in all the temporarily useless materials he had obtained, the energy crystal on the Sacrificial Gate was still not full, just a sliver short.

After making a rough estimation of the required energy, William realized that this sliver would necessitate a minimum of ten thousand level-one Magic Crystals.

Gritting his teeth, William couldn't bring himself to throw in Magic Crystals, as they were still needed. Instead, he tossed in a piece of Devil's Gold.

Seeing the Devil's Gold, which could greatly enhance equipment quality and even grant special skills, disappear, William winced in pain.

Finally, the crystal was completed after the Devil's Gold was added, but nothing happened. William was puzzled. After thinking for a moment, he tried adding another level-one Magic Crystal and noticed a brighter energy line at the bottom of the crystal.

"Seriously? Do I have to fill the crystal again?" William cursed internally.

The thought drove him crazy. Filling it again? He might gather enough resources, but it would be a losing proposition. Devil's Gold was irreplaceable!

Moreover, what if, after filling it again, the Sacrificial Gate required a third fill?

Could this thing be so treacherous?

Sweat appeared on William's forehead.

Forcing himself to calm down, he examined the Sacrificial Gate closely, thinking it shouldn't be this way.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he conceived an idea and delicately touched the crystal.

As if William triggered a switch, the crystal began to glow, and the golden Sacrificial Gate lit up, emitting a dazzling light.

The light from the crystal was not blinding; in fact, it was very soft. William thought it would disappear instantly, but instead, it grew brighter, turning from white to gold, and slowly rising from the Sacrificial Gate, forming a beam of light.

The beam swiftly expanded, elongating until it reached the ceiling. However, to everyone's surprise, it effortlessly passed through as if the ceiling did not exist, extending beyond and venturing outside.

William quickly ran outside and saw the golden beam, unobstructed, growing larger and longer, shooting straight into the sky!

William felt a bit frustrated. It was nighttime, and this golden light was so bright that the entire Accraville City could see it!

Michelle and Candice were also alarmed, and Pill was so frightened by the beam that his fur stood on end, barking furiously at it.

The team members, awakened and armed, came out and were equally stunned by the golden beam.

"Captain Wright, what are you doing?" Jack asked, puzzled.

From the position of the golden beam, it was clear it came from William's room. Obviously, this was his doing, but the commotion was a bit too much.

"Pack up, we're leaving right now!" William ordered, knowing that the situation would soon attract countless troubles. Zombies and monsters would gather quickly, and survivors would come for the golden light, thinking it signaled something valuable.

When they encountered William's team, explanations would be useless. The team would be attacked without hesitation, as the survivors would dream of killing them to obtain the treasure emitting the golden light.

William had confidence in his and his team's strength, but not to the extent of taking on all the forces in Accraville City.

The entire Accraville City woke up because of the golden light. The air was filled with the echoing roars of zombies and the menacing howls of monsters, intensifying the already dire situation.

Fortunately, the golden light didn't last long. After a dozen seconds, it began to fade and gradually disappeared into the sky.

William quickly returned to his room and saw a simple square box under the mirror-like light gate of the Sacrificial Gate.

"Class C Offering Box (Small)."