Twenty minutes of waiting passed, the sound of the doorknob turning could be heard. Followed by the entrance of the receptionist accompanied by an elderly man with a tall, muscular build.
The receptionist promptly introduced the elderly man to Rayden and the others as the guildmaster of the local adventurer's guild. Disliking small talk, the old man did not bother to extend his right hand for a handshake and simply sat upright on the sofa facing Rayden directly.
Seeing this aloof attitude, the receptionist grew visibly uncomfortable, feeling the awkwardness of the situation. However, Rayden did not seem to mind and quickly moved to reassure the receptionist.
In fact, Rayden rather enjoyed people with such indifferent demeanors. They were usually not obsessed with formalities or craving praise, which often irritated him.
"Let's get straight to the point. If you are capable of performing healing and neutralizing the dryad plague comprehensively, then what do you desire as compensation?" The booming voice, laced with seriousness, emanated from the burly old man. He bluntly inquired about Rayden's desired reward.
Rayden nodded in satisfaction at this straightforward approach. He then answered without the slightest hesitation, "I desire 100,000 gold coins, a connection to one of the most reputable merchant guilds in this city, and the establishment of an official diplomatic relationship with this city." As he finished outlining his requested rewards, the receptionist arrived with a tray of warm tea and light snacks.
Hearing the demands, the guildmaster naturally furrowed his brows. But in the next moment, he managed to return his expression to a neutral state.
"We can only provide 75,000 gold coins. The Viscount, who should be the city's leader, has fled his mansion with the intention of shirking responsibility for the troubles caused by his own eldest son," the guildmaster stated, his face filled with a mixture of anger and helplessness at having to become the interim leader responsible for the city's safety.
Initially, Rayden was tempted to bargain further, but after seeing the guildmaster's expression and understanding the calamity they were facing, he did not overly indulge his greed and gladly accepted the agreement. This included obtaining a connection to a renowned merchant and an official relationship with the city.
"By the way, let me just prove my capabilities by healing the two relatives of this young girl," Rayden said confidently, gently patting Chloe's shoulder, who was seated to his left.
The guildmaster was slightly surprised when he saw how familiar Chloe was with Rayden, like a naive, innocent young girl. 'How can that deadly girl be so tame around him?' the guildmaster thought, astonished by Chloe's uncharacteristically cute behavior.
The guild master heaved a sigh of relief, nodding in agreement with Rayden's proposal. "Very well, I understand. Come with me to our inn," he said in a firm, deep voice, then stood up from the sofa, leading Rayden and the accompanying women.
After a brief journey, they arrived at the inn room reserved for the guild. Inside, there were two adult women lying on separate beds. Similar to the infected vagrants on the city streets, their skin was pale, and the essence of their life had been drained, making their bodies increasingly emaciated.
The guild master and the receptionist furrowed their brows, conveying deep concern for the helpless condition of the two women. Even the receptionist could not hold back her tears, crying in anguish.
Chloe seemed unable to bear the sight of her mother and aunt's condition. She buried her head in Miranda's compassionate chest. She cried in deep suffering, soaking Miranda's clothes with her tears.
However, Miranda did not mind. She gently stroked the girl's hair, occasionally rubbing her back, attempting to soothe Chloe's fragile heart.
Rayden sighed heavily, also feeling the deep sadness experienced by Chloe.
"I will commence a comprehensive examination first. I hope you all can maintain calmness during the healing process," Rayden stated firmly with an uncompromising tone, causing everyone to nod their heads unconsciously.
Ignoring their reactions, Rayden stepped to the side of Chloe's mother's bed. He placed his right palm on the woman's forehead. From that palm, micro-scale thorns penetrated the woman's skin, allowing Rayden to connect directly with the life essence of the target he would heal.
He closed his eyes, focusing a large amount of arcane energy to activate the sensory power of plants. In his horrifying perception, Rayden made a startling discovery. A monstrous, terrifying creature was attempting to obstruct his perception with the power of intimidation capable of corrupting the target's mind.
"Lowly humans, how dare you try to interfere with this purification process!" The voice of the colossal creature echoed, resembling the most frightening of demons. The creature turned around, adding more intimidation pressure through its bloodred eyes that threatened.
Rayden was severely pressured for a moment, but he quickly retaliated against the pressure using his own gravitational power. "Damn creature!" he shouted loudly, just before successfully dispersing the intimidation pressure.
Rayden felt the arcane energy flowing through him more strongly, shifting his consciousness to something deeper and more metaphysical. He connected with the essence of the dryad blight that was ravaging Chloe's mother's body, trying to understand and combat the source of this darkness.
"What manner of creature are you?" Rayden asked in a cautious tone, gathering a large amount of arcane energy, ready to face any sudden attacks from the colossal figure standing before him.
The massive creature looked at Rayden with narrowed eyes, filled with calculation and threat. It sensed the real danger from this young man and held back from launching a direct attack, waiting for the right moment when Rayden would show a weakness or lapse in attention.
However, at that very moment, the creature was shocked by the intense pain in the center of its body. "Urrgghh—what is this?!" It cried out in confusion, groaning in agony, kneeling with one leg on the ground and holding the area of its body that felt as if it were being squeezed by an unseen force.
"Gravity Implosion," Rayden whispered, naming his latest gravity control technique. With his right hand clenched, he directed the power directly at the creature.
As Rayden opened his right palm, the intense gravitational pressure rapidly spread from the central point of the colossal creature's body, spreading throughout its entire form at an extraordinary speed. Within seconds, the creature's body shattered and disintegrated, completely destroyed by the tremendous power of the gravity implosion released by Rayden.