Chapter 159: They have eyes everywhere

Time ticked by quickly, and soon the next session arrived. Damon was currently resting in a local tavern, tasting their ale. After his last evolution, his taste buds had changed slightly, and now even alcohol tasted quite good.

It wasn’t just alcohol. High-quality meat from evolved beasts also seemed to hit differently. A bite of roasted Ice Wolf thigh made his mouth water in ways it hadn’t before. He savored each bite, the charred meat practically melting on his tongue, rich with iron and mana-infused oils that left a warm, pleasant aftertaste.

He leaned back in his chair, enjoying his first break after continuously grinding for the last few hours. His hunt had yielded a net of 10 ice affinity points, 10 ice elemental resistance points, and 3 new skills. All in all, it was a productive day.

Damon continued savoring his little treat when the person he expected quietly arrived at the tavern. Sylvara eyed him and the two waitresses fawning over him, quite suspiciously. A look of mild disgust flashed past her face as she prepared to leave.

This was when Damon took out the small metal sphere from his spatial ring. "Would you look at my new toy? So shiny and so metallic..."

Sylvara froze, then hurried over to him. "Put that away. Now. Before someone else sees it."

"As you wish, your highness." Damon smiled and made the sphere disappear.

Sylvara scowled. "This isn’t a game, Damon. This cosmic ship is extremely important for our clan. I don’t know how you managed to find this thing, but could you please not parade it around?"

"Hmmm? What’s in it for me?" Damon shrugged.

Sylvara sighed. "Why is everything with you a transaction? Can’t things be easier?"

Damon chuckled and did not say anything. "Nothing is free in this world, my dear. Now, can we talk about what I found out? Or rather, the reason why we are here. I know we have got a bit sidetracked with the black pool, but getting that ship should still be your family’s top priority. Am I correct?"

Sylvara’s jaw tightened. "You’re right," she admitted. "The patriarch is counting on me to secure that ship, and now I am thinking that you’re the only one crazy enough or skilled enough to help me get it."

She pulled up a chair, sliding into it with a grace that belied her irritation. "But you can’t just waltz around with that thing like it’s a toy. If the wrong people see it, they’ll come after both of us. You still don’t know the power of the big families. They have eyes everywhere. Don’t take them lightly."

Damon nodded seriously. "Fine. I will be more careful, your highness."

Sylvara looked at him with exasperation.

"Okay. Okay. Let’s talk more about the spaceship and the dungeon you needed my help with. I think I am going to need more details about it."

Sylvara let out a long sigh, her fingers drumming lightly on the wooden table. She looked a bit hesitant, but she continued speaking anyway. "It’s not a dungeon in the traditional sense," she said.

"It’s more like... a labyrinth. A sealed fortress that once belonged to some sort of Tinkerers’ Guild. I only recently got wind of it, thanks to some ancient records I found buried in the archives. Apparently, it’s supposed to house the prototype for that cosmic ship, at least that’s the rumor."

Damon nodded, punching his palm with his fist. "Of course, the library. I didn’t look there."

Sylvara looked at him, but he quickly waved his hand, signalling her to continue."Anyways, the dungeon is also rumored to be a deathtrap. The Tinkerers didn’t just build machines. They built defenses. Traps. Automated sentries. Things that could wipe out entire raid parties."

Damon calmly listened. He did not know what made the woman change her attitude, but she was very open and forthcoming about the whole thing.

"The patriarch thinks this is a chance to secure something big, something that will give our clan a real foothold in the power struggle that’s about to come. But if we fail..." Sylvara’s fingers drummed faster, a nervous rhythm. "If we fail, it might mean the end of everything we’ve worked for."

"And?" Damon asked, fully knowing what was to come next.

"I need your help," Sylvara admitted.

Damon smiled.

"My plan was different in the beginning, but right now things have started to become somewhat complicated in the family. There are some people who are trying to break up our guild from the outside, and I am afraid they have slowly started to succeed. I am not blaming you, but you coming to our guild became the perfect catalyst for all sorts of things to blow up. And now, I have no one else to turn to, except you."

Damon let out a slow chuckle, leaning back in his chair. "So, I’m your only option, huh?" His crimson eyes glinted. "Can’t say I’m surprised. So, what is the plan? Run that dungeon with just the two of us? I’ve got to say that’s going to be a bit difficult, even if it is me. Some dungeons have weird mechanisms that would be punishing if a small team is not present."

Sylvara shook her head. "I have a couple of people whom I trust. I am sure your friends Kate and Mark are trustworthy. Together, we should be able to pull together a small team."

Damon nodded in understanding. "So while everyone is busy with the black pool, you want to silently head out to the dungeon and finish this whole thing before anyone else even notices we’re gone?"

Sylvara’s lips curved into a wry smile. "Exactly," she said. "While everyone is too busy with their internal politics and that ridiculous black pool situation, we’ll slip away and get the ship before anyone can even think about stopping us."

Damon chuckled. "Now I understand why Artimius trusts you so much. You are quite the cunning strategist, Ice Queen. Alright, when do you want to do this?"