The room plunged into a profound silence. The heavy revelation smothered even the boisterous laughter of the Fox.
"You can't be serious."
Fox scoffed, his voice shrouded in skepticism and amusement.
"The Academy, the Awakened Hall, New luzmell institutions, Wild Diver—each of them is offering rewards for an A-Class Spore. And yet, we've seen neither hide nor hair of one. If you know where to find one, why not go for a better reward? Honestly, I suggest you clear your head and understand where you stand before you speak."
It seemed that Fox lost interest in Zed almost suddenly, for those who spouted such outrageous claims in the Wasteland were usually destined to become a pile of bones outside the city.
Unfazed, Zed lifted his hand once more, calmly tapping the surface of his mask. The metallic echo reverberated in the room, piercing the mounting tension.
"Where I am isn't important. What matters is that you don't know where I'll be after I leave."
"Good, I like that."
Demon said, sitting up straighter. He rummaged around for a cigarette, but after a futile search, he realized he was out. He cast his gaze towards the old man standing behind Zed, added:
"I'll accept this agreement, but I need assurance from the winery."
In the gloom, the elder took two steps forward, his voice with certainty.
"We can guarantee."
"Then, it's fine."
Demon slightly lifted his intricately carved mask—an indication that the transaction could proceed.
Those seated on both sides of the table pushed back their chairs and slowly rose, aware that their presence was no longer required. They understood that high-value information transactions like these came at a cost, merely hearing it demanded a certain toll.
As Fox passed Zed, he bumped against Zed's shoulder, whether by accident or on purpose, was unclear. When Zed turned to look at him, Fox merely chuckled lowly, a taunting sound that held no trace of apology.
It was at this moment, a system sound echoed in Zed's mind.
[Weekly Ability]
["Hostile event detected. Do you wish to expend 1% of your Blood Bank Spore to designate the target as a vengeance target?"]
["Upon designating a vengeance target, you can track them (within two minor levels), and use any skills you got from vampire path on the vengeance target without suffering the corresponding flaw."]
["You can stay away from tower until your revenge is completed."]
["Child, from today, you will decide your own fate!"]
Vengeance target?
"Set."
Zed decided almost instantly.
With a shimmer of red light, Fox's silhouette became outlined in red in Zed's vision. Even as Fox exited the room, he was visible to Zed as if through thermal imaging, becoming a small red dot in his mind that would appear whenever Zed wished to track him.
In truth, Zed held no particular grudge against Fox. The harsh life in the Wasteland and the ruins had taught him the importance of patience and endurance. Yet, the phrase "You can stay away from tower until your revenge is completed" sparked his curiosity.
'I won't return to the tower until figured something out.' Zed thought.
On the other side, Demon rose to his feet, courteously adjusting Zed's chair, inviting him to sit.
"My apologies... I'm not sure how to address you, but we can start our business now, can we not?"
Zed took two steps forward, emerging from the shadows.
For the first time, the room's scant light unveiled his mask—it bore the image of a seven of spades. Five upward-facing spades, two downward, arranged in a simple pattern that gleamed with a peculiar luster.
Demon, who had just taken his seat, abruptly stood up again, his voice a shocked whisper.
"You're from Dawnrain!"
Zed offered no response, merely taking a seat himself.
Extending a hand, he pointed for the Demon to join him.
It was no surprise that Demon was taken aback. Zed's mask had been hidden in the shadows until now, its true form unseen. Had they known that Zed was wearing a poker card mask, they certainly would have stood up in shock and apprehension. After all, the cards weren't just simple pieces of painted paper in their world, they represented power, and sometimes, a deathly warning.
It means group.
For lone awakened like them, who were more or less commonplace, the exploits of wild diver groups reverberating around the city were a source of awe and longing. Demon, despite he rarely attend meetings, still had a distinct awareness of the name 'Dawnrain.'
They were a motley crew, each carrying a poker card of varying point value, a reflection of their standing. They borrowed their hierarchy from the pre-catastrophe game of Texas Hold'em, where each card's rank determined their position.
What's more, Demon had a hunch that the Dawnrain held a close relationship with the meeting's organizing body, the Winery.
The day's events served as concrete proof, confirming Demon's speculation!
Demon drew a deep breath, caution replacing his earlier nonchalance. He no longer dared to speak off the cuff.
The cards he had met before held lower point values, but the 7 of Spades here was the highest card he had come across thus far.
This mask wasn't something anyone could don just by purchasing it!
And if the Winery had permitted his entry into the meeting, there must be something validating his identity.
With this, Demon, who had just sat down, rose again, his hands fumbling nervously, unsure of where to place them.
"Sit."
Came a voice from behind the mask, a grin curling up at the corners of Zed's mouth. It was indeed a rare occasion for him to relish the renown of Dawnrain.
Without waiting long, Zed started speaking, uttering a string of coordinates with an eerie calmness.
"North of the city, highway ruins, originally a microbiological research factory. The researchers there have mutated into a B1 level beast, guarding an inactive stone. That's your target..."
Zed paused for a moment, then added:
"I haven't shared this information with anyone else. You're the first to know."
Demon nodded, promptly standing up, pulling out a document from his leather backpack and handing it to Zed.
"Here, this is a report on the Shadow Thief. I'll follow the mission guidelines, and any updates will be directly caught to the Winery," he said.
With that, he offered a respectful bow.
"Thank you. Sir."
Once everything was settled, Demon exited hastily without any questions. It was apparent he was in a rush to contact his small group.
He had no worries about Zed lied on this information. For one, the Winery was guaranteeing it, and secondly, the person who knew about the A-level Spore was Dawnrain. This information was even more critical than the Spore itself.
It directly affected the direction of various small groups. They didn't need to scramble for the Spore or resources, they simply needed to align themselves with Dawnrain.
Meanwhile, Zed, holding the document in his hand, revealed a bitter smile behind his mask.
He had only revealed a fifth of the information, which was, in fact, from the early disaster period and well-known. He knew the beast's weaknesses, attack methods, and even how to cunningly steal the Spore without big fight.
Yet, he hadn't knew that just sharing the basic location and news would make the other party throw in all their chips.
Perhaps this was the very essence of these meetings, to amplify the information gap infinitely, transforming it into a gamble.
The one with more chips could easily crush the opponent's all-in.
This thought brought a wry smile to Zed's lips again as he prepared to take his leave.
Just then, the elderly man who had been present earlier approached him.
"7 of Spades, correct?"
"Yes, what about it?"
Zed replied, noticing the amused undertone in the old man's voice. The elder was holding a box.
Placing the box on the table and opening it, Zed saw an assortment of stuffs, a sphere that looked like a spore, and several pristine books.
Zed cocked his head, puzzled, and looked at the elder.
The older man cleared his throat, a hint of embarrassment tinting his voice.
"Well, the information you provided earlier is extremely valuable to the Winery also. I understand as a member of Dawnrain you might not need these things. Emmm...there are some booklets here...we call them, cultivation methods. Just consider it a goodwill sign, if...if you could provide more detailed information..."
Patting the metal lid of the box, the elder continued:
"You would earn the friendship of the Winery."