The Answer

"Their symbol is a jade scepter with a diamond orb. The diamond orb is intertwined with the collars of the jade body as if the jade is holding on to the light. Every time Aethernanos moves, they will leave a one-foot scepter on the scene, telling them that they are the ones who did it. It also contains intricate, unique, and powerful Runes, making it impossible to duplicate without knowledge of the process. From what we understand, their thing is to answer calls. They are like a mercenary group. If you have something you want to be taken care of, you come to them and they will answer your call for appropriate payment," Markus explained.

"What about their efficiency and success rate? This is the Elezenist Alliance we are talking about, after all. Can they take care of it?" Helio asked in worry.

"Of course, there is no guarantee; but, as far as we know, they have never failed. Have you heard of the Maiden Valley incident?"

"Of course. The Earthquake of the Untainted continent, famed for their purity and a defensive fortress comparable to that of a Citadel has been picked clean of their prized Maiden's Tears. Twenty Maiden's Tears were stolen that night, making them lose a hundred years' worth of time. That was the work of Aethernanos, huh?"

"Yup, that's the one. However, that is not the full story. As you know, the Maiden's Tear is a fruit from the Maiden's Tree, a Sentient Rune manifestation. It can cleanse a creature's body of all impurities, disease, and poison, and extends one's lifespan by at least 300 years. The Maiden's Tree is closely guarded by 10 Elite-class Adventurers and two Champion-class Adventurers. Our sources said that they were all slaughtered so fast that there was no one there that was able to send an alert."

"That's ridiculous! I thought they were caught off guard. How is it that inside their own domain with two Champion-class Adventurers, no one was able to send a simple alert?" Helio stood up in shock. 'It would take a Champion-class Adventurer just a second to create a Rune that would alert the entire Maiden Valley. It's impossible for the intruders to have set up a Rune Array that would have prevented communication since they are inside the domain of the enemy. It would have surely alerted the Maiden Valley if that happened. Was it an Undying-class Adventurer that did the job?!' Helio thought. Just as he thought of the possibility of an Undying-class Adventurer, a cold breeze ran down his spine.

"I know what you are thinking. We also did not discount the possibility of an Undying-class Adventurer; However, it was more likely the work of a weaker class who was equipped with Champion-grade Artifacts," Markus said.

"You're probably right. The arrival of an Undying-class Adventurer in the home of the Maiden Valley would have surely alerted the old monsters of the Maiden Valley," Helio sighed in relief. "It still speaks volumes to their ability and resources, though. How can I get to them?"

"You need a scepter. The scepter they leave each deed. It does not have a specific name, but we collectively named it The Answer."

"Do you happen to have one with you?"

"No, but I know where you can get one. A week from now, there will be a large auction at the Open ocean. It will be headed by one of the nine Tsunamis, the Open Merchant Coalition. This is a once-in-a-hundred years occurrence, and The Answer is one of the featured items."

"Thanks. Can you loan me some money?"

"Of course."

...

A week later, somewhere in the middle of the sea, an island size turtle can be seen surrounded by countless boats. Above it was hundreds of flying ships, floating carefreely. The back of the turtle was like a city with towering buildings and an enormous crowd. All sorts of creatures can be seen looking around and doing all sorts of things.

Amongst the thick crowd, Helio can be seen impatiently waiting in line in front of the Open Merchant Coalition's auction house. It was the size of two football fields. He could not help but sneer after seeing members of the World Force escorted inside. 'It's at times like this where I reconsider my decision to stay as a lone force and not join a powerhouse, alas,' he thought.

Time passed by fast. Helio was seated on a chair placed below the height of the stage. This was common since only the VIPs were allowed to have their own rooms and be placed on the balcony above. Each VIP room has a light that turned green when it was occupied.

After a while of waiting, all 162 VIP rooms were lit up, signaling the start of the auction. The stage was placed in the middle of the auction house with the regular participants surrounding it. Meanwhile, 81 VIP rooms were placed on the right side while another 81 VIP rooms were placed on the left side.

Helio could not help but look around and breathe heavily. 'I'm a Legend-class adventurer, someone any of those powerhouses would covet. I traveled seven of the nine continents, 5 of the nine oceans, and 4 of the nine skies; but, I am still mesmerized by this sight. These 162 rooms represent the scale of the world. A scale that when tipped, would kill countless creatures,' he thought.

He was not alone. Everyone surrounding the stage marveled at the sight before them. All that are present here are powerful individuals in their own rights, but no power is enough to contend against the rooms above them.

A lady appeared on the stage. She was wearing a simple black dress that highlighted her features. Her black hair was neatly bunned up and there were no fancy accessories with her. The setup of the auction was also rustic and plain, but it carried a sense of class and novelty. The lady looked around first to see all of the VIP rooms before saying, "Good afternoon, fellow adventurers. I am Mirage, and it is my great honor to host today's auction. This hundred-year-auction had been a long tradition of the Open Merchant Coalition. It is a great pleasure for us to know that every member of the World Force has a representative who is with us today. Now, without further ado, let us start this auction!"