The culprit behind the seizure of the mine was about to et their end. The players in the guild felt the anger that had been festering in their hearts finally begin to dissipate...
But just then, a figure swiftly appeared from behind, blocking their way.
"Irving... what is the aning of this?" Jas asked, bewildered.
Everyone's eyes turned to Irving, even Sophia noticed the abnormality and slowly opened her eyes. She doesn't understand what this man intended to do.
Irving ignored Jas and the others. He turned to Sophia and asked, "What's the relationship between you and the Night Blades?"
Just monts ago, he recalled a threatening ssage he had received on his phone from the Night Blades. At the very end of the ssage, there was an emblem:
A deep black background with a bright crescent moon, inside which a single glowing eye was hidden...
This emblem seed to have so connection with the tattoos on the wrists of the group they had encountered earlier.
"You just said this matter has nothing to do with you? What do you an?" Irving's deep eyes just like a sharp as blades, staring at Sophia.
When the words "Night Blades" left his mouth, a flicker of shock crossed Sophia's cold face.
Though the expression was fleeting, Irving caught it.
Sophia let out a cold laugh. "I killed the people. If you're here for revenge, just make it quick. Why bother with this nonsense?"
At the foot of the mountain, a heavily injured burly man in animal skins had preferred to kill himself rather than reveal any information about the forces behind this. Up to now, they still didn't know who was orchestrating the seizure of the mine.
"You damn bitch, tell us who sent you here!"
A player in the guild shouted angrily, raising his axe to her snow-white neck.
To their surprise, Sophia showed no fear.Instead, her tone was tinged with provocation. "Just kill now. Don't act like a coward!"
"You're really asking for death!" The player's anger flared up. But just as he was about to strike, Irving grabbed his arm.
Seeing Irving intervene again, even Vicky couldn't hold back. She asked, "Irving, this woman killed so many of the Green Ivy Group. Why are you protecting her?"
Her question echoed everyone's thoughts.
None of them understood why Irving was repeatedly protecting this woman.
"You all think too simple. Do you really believe that once we take back the mine, everything will be peaceful?" Irving glanced at Sophia and continued, "If I'm not mistaken, you're not with the group that died at the foot of the mountain, right? Or maybe you were forced to co here."
Hearing this, everyone sensed sothing unusual.
Why hadn't this woman appeared during the battle at the foot of the mountain?
She was a powerful mage with the protection of that group. Even if the Green Ivy Group had the advantage in numbers, taking back the mine would have co at a great cost.
"You want to die that badly?" Irving said, noticing Sophia's silence and adding aningfully, "What if I decide not to let you die? Or what if I let them know you're still alive?"
In an instant, Sophia's eyes snapped open.
Her gaze was no longer as indifferent as it had been just monts ago. Instead, it was filled with anger as she glared fiercely at Irving.
The atmosphere seed to freeze.
However, the anger in Sophia's eyes didn't last long. Because she knew the consequences if Irving truly did what he said...
"You were right. I'm not with the group at the foot of the mountain. They belong to an organization called the Brotherhood of Night Blades." Sophia finally conceded.
"The Brotherhood of Night Blades? What about the tattoos on their wrists?" Irving inquired.
Sophia had no choice but to reveal everything she knew.
It turned out that the Brotherhood of Night Blades was a branch of the Night Blades. These individuals had been secretly dispatched dostically and had infiltrated the ga the Other World.
After the first wave of catastrophes, the guild Sophia belonged to was attacked by them, and all its mbers were enslaved.
"They have many mbers, including several powerful mages. We had no choice but to obey their orders." Sophia paused and continued, "From what I know, they've used the sa thod to control many guilds in the surrounding areas. The players in those guilds have been turned into their slaves, forced to kill exotic beasts or gather resources for them.
Because I'm a mage, I was sent out to help them seize nearby mines..."
Everyone was stunned by her words. No one had expected the forces behind this group to be so formidable.
"Yesterday, we took over another mine. The guild that occupied it lost even more people than yours did. Because they refused to submit, they were all killed in the end." Sophia sighed.
"So you're helping them kill people?" Irving asked, frowning.
This seed to provoke Sophia.
She was initially taken aback, then beca sowhat hysterical. "Do you think I want to? If I don't do what they say, everyone in my guild will be killed! That guild was founded by my family. Many of my relatives are in it!"
"Why didn't you escape? That group's strength doesn't seem that overwhelming." Vicky asked.
Sophia and Irving had just fought, and although she hadn't been defeated due to the restrictive nature of her magic skills, she wasn't weak. She was definitely stronger than the group they encountered at the foot of the mountain.
"Escape?" Sophia smiled bitterly and shook her head. "Where could I go? If they find out I ran away, they'll imdiately destroy the shelter my guild established, and everyone will be buried along with ."
Only now did everyone understand why Sophia had been so desperate to die earlier.
Her family's guild had been taken over, escape was impossible, and she was forced to killing, becoming their slave... perhaps only death could truly set her free. Maybe it was the only way not to implicate the others in her guild.
The cave fell silent once more.
Although they had reclaid the mine. But everyone felt an unprecedented pressure.
Jas, in particular, wore an exceptionally grave expression as he learned about the Brotherhood of Night Blades' thods of enslaving other guilds. As the leader of the Green Ivy Group, he realized the significance of the current situation.
This mine was undoubtedly already marked by the Brotherhood. Even though the group at the foot of the mountain had been killed, it didn't an the issue was resolved.
He suddenly understood how crucial Irving's earlier decision had been. If they had killed this woman outright, they wouldn't have uncovered so much information.
At least now, the Green Ivy Group had ti to prepare.
"Irving, what should we do now?" Jas asked, turning to Irving. "Should we inform the Angel Corps imdiately? They might be the only ones capable of dealing with this..."
Irving didn't respond imdiately.
Although the Angel Corps was an official organization, facing the sudden appearance of the Brotherhood of Night Blades was no small feat. There was no guarantee they could eliminate them, and the guilds already under the Brotherhood's control would likely be sacrificed first.
Shelters were directly linked to their real-world counterparts. Once controlled, it ant their lifeline was in soone else's hands.
Moreover, having been reborn, Irving understood better than anyone that in the brutal environnt of the apocalypse, no one could be relied upon—not even the authorities.
But these thoughts couldn't be spoken aloud.
Irving glanced at Sophia, then turned to Jas and said, "Take your people imdiately to the foot of the mountain and find a way to completely dispose of the body. It must not be found by anyone."
"Understood. What about the mine?" Jas asked.
The other players in the guild also turned their eyes to Irving, knowing that their only hope of avoiding the Brotherhood's retaliation lay with this man.
"The news of their deaths won't spread quickly. At least until the second wave of catastrophes, this place will remain safe." Irving continued. "Take advantage of the next day or two to keep mining. Apart from the [Obsidian], you can take the other materials back for use."
"And one more thing." Irving added, looking around at everyone present. "No one is to speak of what happened here. I trust you all understand what I'm saying."
The players of the Green Ivy Group imdiately nodded in agreent, understanding the gravity of his words.
Following Irving's instructions, Jas and the others got to work.
In the cave, Irving's gaze fell once again on Sophia. Although all fifteen players of the Green Ivy Group had died by her hand, the true culprit was the Brotherhood of Night Blades.
Since the first wave of catastrophes, more and more guilds had been ford. They now faced not only the attacks of fierce beasts but also the crucial battle for resources. One person's efforts were always limited.
"If the heavens have given a second chance at life, then rely surviving isn't enough..." Irving thought to himself.
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