---Shadow Mountain Association---
Seeing the change in the communication stone, he jumped off the bed, kicking a couple of bottles away. He had spent the past day enjoying the local delicacies. Looking out the window, he cracked his neck and loosened his shoulder.
In the distance was the caldera of a dormant volcano, like mountains that popped the lid. He had heard that it was not just a sect, but a place of pleasures and debauchery. A city of sin tinged in eternal twilight caused by its massive natural fortifications.
This was also the only place that had posed a slight risk during the extraction of the survivors. The Special Ops of Minas Mar were actually forced to fight one of the elders of this place after they were caught liberating one of their disciples.
Although this was one of the places with the most survivors, they were able to recover; they were also in the worst state. The adults didn't fare too well. In a city of pleasures and debauchery, there was only one reason to bring in people without any power.
The children were in a comparably better state, if one ignored the mind-controlling maggots that were planted in their heads to make them obedient and loyal. The indoctrinated children themselves fighting back to stay were the reason the assassins and thieves were caught in the first place.
But this would end today. Leaving the naked ladies behind, he donned sets of fine robes and left the inn of the smaller suburb. It was time to shed some light on this place and break apart this eternal twilight.
Using the high-quality garments he had acquired with his mission funds as camouflage, he easily mixed into the dense crowd of visitors that flowed in and out of the city, day and night. They called it twilight, but the massive red light district was actually well lit, illuminating even the cliffs surrounding the place.
One advantage of his location was the lax safety measures. The top of the caldera had a shield in case sects or other enemies attacked, but the main entrance was barely controlled. Although they were sure strong cultivators were watching out for others of their ilk, they would hardly detect a player without any internal energy.
The inside of the volcanoes was filled with pavilions, inns, restaurants, brothels, and gambling dens. They ranged across all price classes, too. Shabby ones with a shady reputation for the small purse, or the high-end establishments for the VIPs with deep pockets.
At the center of the crater, towering over everything else, was a massive castle. This was the actual seat of the Shadow Mountain Association, the masters of this place. That place was also visibly more strictly controlled and housed unknown safety measures.
Not that it mattered. His goal was elsewhere. This was actually an idea suggested by Marco in the intel distributed. Ortega aimed for a shop. Of course, it was nothing ordinary. In this place where money and pleasure pooled, there was no shortage of expensive and luxurious goods.
High-quality shops for materials, weapons, and clothing were as numerous as the prostitutes on the street. His steps led to one of the taller shops, sticking out from its surroundings. The Turtle Purse, a five-story-tall treasure pavilion, which sold everything from weapons to martial arts to materials and herbs.
Anything a rich cultivator or wealthy person could want or look for could be found here. Although there were many places like this in the caldera, there was a reason he chose this one. It was specifically mentioned in the intel because it had ties to the seventh young master of the Shadow Mountain Association.
This young master was known for his desire for exotic and expensive treasures. With swaying robes, he entered without hesitation. The first floor was filled with displays of precious robes and valuable weapons. The sight couldn't compare to a glance into their guild vault, but it was quite pleasing to the eyes.
Not wasting a single glance more on this floor, he began climbing the stairs. His destination was the fourth floor, a place where treasures of heaven and earth were traded. Compared to other floors, this place was empty.
Between the walls filled with drawers over drawers, there were no people who dared to loiter around. The things on this floor were not only rare but also extremely expensive. It was no wonder the clerk at the counter gave him a suspicious side-eye when he didn't immediately return down the stairs.
That meant he was either a fool or knew exactly why he came here. Of course, it was the latter, as he quickly approached the clear. He placed his hands on the counter and looked the clerk straight in the eyes.
"The seventh moon shines bright tonight," he said, the code words described in the papers. The clerk's eyes widened as he halted playing with his thin chin beard.
"So you have something you wish to offer to the master?" he asked. Nodding, he acted as if he took something from a spatial ring, but it was actually appearing from his inventory. A beautiful, small treasure chest was produced from thin air.
The chest alone was already a piece of great craftsmanship. Orry Abel, the third-best goldsmith of Minas Mar, had made it for this very mission. The clerk ogled it with fascination, as if he misunderstood what he offered, as the treasure it housed even outshone the little chest.
"I present to you the Heart of a Deity," he said ceremoniously and unlocked the chest. When the lid opened, an intense, bright green light escaped the chest. Inside was a wooden burl, pulsing with life. Of course, it was the seed of the Guardian Tree.
"Truly extraordinary," the clerk whispered, enraptured by the sight. "I can say with confidence that I have never seen something like this in all my years working here. The young master will be truly pleased with this... of course, that depends on the price," he added once he reigned in his own wonder.
Showing an understanding smile, he actually shook his head.
"My master is not looking for money but to make a connection. As kindred spirits, he would like to meet the seventh master sometime in the future. It is meant as a gift..." he hinted at. The clerk shook his head with a business smile.
"This is too great a gift to receive just for a meeting. The young master knows the weights of gifts and that some are too heavy to bear," the clerk declined to take it for free. He had actually hoped for this. It was a shame not to get some profits out of this.
"Right. Maybe it would be best if you gave me something in exchange for appearance's sake. I say, how a bout you choose an assortment of herbs, you deem will make this deal appropriate. I will wait," the man in the expensive robes said with a calm smile.
The clerk looked at him again and came to the decision that he probably wouldn't leave with the burl. On the other hand, the clerk also didn't want him to take it with him. The man of herbs and spices quickly began assembling a collection of wooden boxes on the counter.
They contained various earthy treasures form minerals to herbs, all packed individually on a bedding of satin. By the end of it, the metal box containing the seed of the Guardian Tree was traded for 17 boxes filled with powerful herbs, some ores, and a couple of pill bottles.
Apart from the ones ready to consume, they would make a great present for Alison and Evee. While he packed away his boxes, the clerk quickly brought the chest to the back. Ortega grinned, seeing the man so possessive over the seed that would spell doom for this place.
"Hmm, I should have half an hour...What to do?" he mumbled to himself, eyeing the surrounding joy rides.