Scarlett slammed her hands and feet against the bed in frustration, her loud cries echoing through her private room in the palace.
"Ahhh! I don't want this! I don't want this!" she yelled, venting all her annoyance and irritation.
Her fury didn't last long, though. After a few minutes of thrashing about, she stopped, catching her breath. She rolled onto her back, staring blankly at the ornate ceiling above her.
With a tired sigh, Scarlett glanced down at herself, her gaze landing on her massive chest—two enormous burdens around G-cup size. She frowned deeply, grabbing them with both hands and lifting them slightly.
"When will I finally be free of these balloons?" she muttered to herself, her voice filled with exasperation.
Letting out another sigh, Scarlett sat up and changed into her casual clothes. Her room was stocked with an impressive collection of outfits, neatly arranged in the wardrobe. After a moment of picking something simple, she threw on a loose shirt and pants, then flopped back onto the bed.
She lay there, her arms spread wide, staring at the ceiling again. "I really don't feel like doing anything," she mumbled.
Her thoughts began to wander, and she went through everything she had assigned to her subordinates. "Li Feng is handling the soldiers. The new Orc leader, Corin, has the internal officers. Semith's taking care of all the management in Dreadhaven. Xao Feng is in charge of education and services, and Yumi's managing finances, taxes, and everything else money-related with the Gorgon sisters helping her."
She paused for a moment, letting all the names and tasks settle in her mind. "And the smaller roles are handled by Reiza..."
Suddenly, her eyes widened under her blindfold," That means... that means I'm completely free!"
Scarlett shot up from the bed and threw her arms into the air. "Yay!" she shouted excitedly, her voice bursting with joy. She couldn't stop herself from jumping on the bed, her enthusiasm shaking the mattress beneath her.
"Yes! This is exactly why I worked so hard in the beginning! Now, I can finally enjoy some free time while everyone else works their butts off! Hehehe..." Scarlett let out an evil laugh, her excitement bubbling over.
As she thought about how to spend her free time, a particular idea struck her. "I should go and eat some golden apples under the shade of the tree... hehehe," she giggled, already imagining the juicy sweetness of the apples.
But as her thoughts drifted to the golden apples, her mind suddenly snapped to a memory. Vermillion, Jenessa, and Kaelan—those three humans who were the first to arrive at Dreadhaven. She had gifted them the golden apples back then.
"Hmm... The word about those golden apples might have already spread by now, right?" she murmured to herself, a thoughtful expression replacing her earlier mischief.
---
Western side of the Kingdom of Gwarga, Zekt Guild
The receptionist area of the guild was bustling with life. Laughter echoed through the grand hall as guild members chatted, joked, and even drank beer, their tankards clinking together in celebration.
But all the noise abruptly died when three figures strode into the hall. A heavy silence fell as every eye turned to them, watching with awe and curiosity.
The trio—Vermillion, Jenessa, and Kaelan—were unrecognizable compared to their first arrival at Dreadhaven. Their cool, confident auras and commanding presence made them stand out like giants among ants.
Each of them wore a smirk as they approached the receptionist's desk. Vermillion, acting as their leader, stepped forward. He casually ran a hand through his silver hair, the motion oozing arrogance and style.
With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out a pouch and turned it upside down.
Swirllll...
A torrent of items poured out onto the counter—wolf pelts, spider legs, goblin ears, and even demon horns spilled out like the pouch had no limit to its capacity. The sheer amount of resources was overwhelming.
Normally, such a sight would have caused chaos. People would be gasping, whispering, or even fainting at the sight of so much wealth. But oddly, the crowd remained silent, their faces betraying no surprise.
The receptionist calmly gathered the materials and counted them with practiced efficiency. "That'll be eight hundred gold coins," she said, sliding the coins across the counter as if such transactions were an everyday occurrence.
Vermillion pocketed the reward without a second glance, his smug grin widening.
To any outsider, the sight of 800 gold coins in one transaction would be unbelievable. For most guild members, earning even 200 gold coins in their entire lifetime would be a miracle.
But seeing them, in the corner, a man sitting at a table slammed his hand down in frustration. "Tch! If not for those miracle-bringing golden apples, how could these fools have become S-rank mercenaries?" he grumbled, his voice dripping with jealousy.
"Yeah, you're right," another man added with a bitter sigh. "I wish I could afford even one bite of those golden apples. Just one piece could change everything..."
Their envious whispers spread through the hall, but the trio paid no attention.
For Vermillion, Jenessa, and Kaelan, this was their new normal.
When Scarlett had first gifted them the golden apples, they had assumed it was some magical fruit that could grant Agelessness. Of course, the idea was ridiculous, but the reality wasn't far from it.
The first bite of the golden apple had changed everything for them. Their strength and abilities soared to new heights, allowing them to take down A-rank monsters with ease. It was as if the apples had unlocked a hidden potential within them. But the apples weren't without their drawbacks—they were incredibly addictive. The three of them had to use them sparingly and wisely.
Their newfound power quickly propelled them to S-rank mercenaries, but it didn't take long for the guild to notice something was off. Rumors began to spread, and soon, the guild launched an investigation into their rapid rise.
Eventually, the truth about the golden apples was uncovered. The guild confronted the trio, demanding answers.
Scarlett had already told them they could reveal the apples' existence if they wanted, but Vermillion, Jenessa, and Kaelan weren't naive. They knew the value of what they had and planned to profit from it.
The guild, seeing the potential of the apples, tried to pressure them. "According to the rules, Donate at least four golden apples to the guild," they demanded, hinting at consequences if they refused.
The trio had a total of twelve apples, so they agreed to hand over four to gain security over eight golden apples. But when pressed about where the apples came from or how they obtained them, they stayed silent. No matter how much the guild tried to extract information, the three refused to reveal anything.
At one point, Vermillion smirked and made an outrageous demand. "Give us thirty thousand gold coins, and I'll tell you," he said casually.
The guild balked at the demand. Thirty thousand gold coins was a fortune they couldn't justify spending, even for such valuable information.
Instead, they took the four golden apples they had received and handed them over for analysis. Two apples went to the government, one to the Kingdom of Darwitz, and the last remained with the guild. The hope was to study the apples and find a way to replicate them.
Months passed, and despite countless experiments and tests, no progress was made.
"This isn't something we can recreate," one researcher admitted with frustration. "The apples are made from incredibly dense and pure raw mana—far beyond anything even average dragons possess. How could something like this even exist?"
No one had an answer. The only people who knew the truth were Vermillion, Jenessa, and Kaelan, and they weren't talking.
Meanwhile, the Zekt Guild decided to sell their only remaining golden apple. They found a buyer in the so-called "Hero Party," a group of ambitious mercenaries led by a young man who dreamed of defeating the Demon King and earning the title of Hero.
The leader's father, a wealthy noble, paid a staggering twenty thousand gold coins for the apple. The Hero Party consumed the apple, and just like Vermillion's group, their power skyrocketed. They too became S-rank mercenaries.
Now, whispers of the golden apples had spread far and wide, and everyone who heard about them dreamed of getting their hands on even a single bite.
"Time really changes, huh!" Jenessa sighed, turning on her heels with a wistful look, the other two following her lead as they prepared to leave.
But just as they were stepping away, the receptionist's voice rang out.
"Sir, wait a minute! I have an important message for you!"
The trio halted in unison, exchanging curious glances before slowly turning back to face her.
The receptionist took a deep breath, clearly trying to steady herself. "The guild has accepted your demands. They are ready to pay."
A sly, almost predatory smile spread across Vermillion's face as he leaned forward slightly, his silver hair catching the light. "Now we're talking... Hehehe,"