Chapter 35 - Bidder

"Don't stick to the details so much," Amanda said with a smile. Just keep your mind open, and I am sure you will find a guild in which you can fit in. Or you can create your own."

It was very unlikely that Zack would ever consider creating his own guild. The idea of leading a group of hunters, managing resources, and dealing with the bureaucracy that came with running a guild didn't appeal to him.

For Zack, the freedom to fight on his own terms, without restrictions or obligations, felt incredibly liberating. He relished the ability to choose his battles, to venture out when he wanted, and to return home when he pleased.

Fighting monsters by himself felt more like a passion than a job. It was a way for him to test his skills, to push his limits, and to explore the world beyond the city walls. It was a solitary pursuit that suited him well, allowing him to focus solely on his own growth and development.

"Anyway, good luck and be careful," Amanda said. "You can finally make a difference, and you can fight the current failed system, but you don't have to hate those who are involved in it when they don't have the means to fight it."

After saying that, Amanda left. She made a lot of sense as usual, and Zack felt good around her, but her words seemed a bit weird. Zack didn't know how much she knew about him, but she was assuming a lot of things.

In any case, Zack soon entered the guild and found Anna and the receptionist waiting for him there. There were no others around, so it seemed that they were ready to do business. Still, they looked a bit surprised that he came, and while showing wry smiles, they wondered how much more they offered than the others.

"I decided to give you guys a discount of ten million if you give me a map of the province with the locations of the monster territories," Zack said. "Do you accept the offer?"

Anna stopped to think for a moment… that would be an excellent business. However, if Zack managed to clear one territory, he probably could do the same with the others by himself… buying more territories from him would have to take a while since their money was being used to buy that one. That being said, putting all the territories around under human control would be beneficial since it would grant them routes to other cities.

"I accept your offer," Anna declared after she crossed her arms. 

Anna looked at her receptionist, and then she left to access the computer where she worked. Before long, she returned with a map of the province. The province was a lot smaller than Zack had imagined. 

As he surveyed the map, he realized it wasn't even one hundred kilometers long and wide, and it had a somewhat rectangular shape. It seemed much larger when he had first ventured out. Still, now, with a better understanding of the area, its size felt surprisingly compact.

Zack could see the territories of sixteen different monsters surrounding them. Each one marked a domain ruled by a powerful species, a dangerous obstacle for any hunter daring to challenge them.

However, as he analyzed the map further, Zack noted that the monsters' territories were not as formidable as he had initially thought. After conquering the territory of the Frozen Witches, only three others remained to be conquered.

"Well, here is the crystal, and I will pass the cores once I confirm the transference of the credits," Zack said.

Before receiving the crystal, Anna looked at the receptionist, and then she nodded. After just a few clicks, the money was transferred, and Zack confirmed that with the cellphone he bought before coming to the guild.

His cellphone looked like a watch that showed its screen through a magical hologram. The watcher also obtained mana from the surroundings to operate, so it was really convenient.

"One moment," Zack said and then disappeared using Invisible, only to take a bag from his inventory with the cores and then soon reappear again. "Here."

Anna received the bag and then began to count the cores. Eventually, she confirmed their numbers and was surprised that Zack actually killed that many frozen witches. Those cores could last for a whole day and enchant weapons, armor, and even accessories with ice properties, so they were really valuable.

"I guess we are done here," Zack said. "I will soon sell other territories and am willing to receive payment for relics and weapons if you are short on cash. You can tell that to the others as well. As usual, I will sell it to the highest bidder, no matter where they are. Until the next time."

Anna realized what Zack was getting at. If the monsters didn't cause him trouble, Zack would be fine with selling the territories to the people of his town. However, he made it clear that he didn't mind selling to people in other provinces either. After all, it would have been very beneficial to them if they hadn't gotten in his way.

Zack's proposition clearly conveyed that cooperation could lead to mutual benefits. By allowing him to reclaim monster territories without interference, the other provinces could gain access to valuable land and resources. In return, Zack would profit from selling these territories, while also expanding the safe zones for humanity.