Child of Destiny

Free labor.

This was what entered the minds of the trio standing behind Shin when they saw how excited Khavin and the other executives of the Desert Bandits were after hearing the offer.

To them, Shin was essentially hitting multiple birds with one stone.

He was obtaining an additional workforce without having to pay anything.

The Desert Bandits could potentially become a reliable force for the Hand of Midas when it came to gathering materials within the kingdom.

The Trading Firm could also make use of their existing connections to establish a branch within the kingdom without having to invest too much into the process.

They could save a considerable amount of time and money by relying on the connections that this mercenary company had already established.

The Desert Bandits weren’t merely signing their own slave contracts.

They were practically handing over their connections for free.

Owen, Diablo, and Alucard were far too familiar with Shin not to recognize the underlying traps hidden behind the sweet words he had offered.

While Khavin and the other executives were growing increasingly excited, Shin suddenly spoke. ”Of course, there are a few things you’ll need to stop doing once you become a partnered group of the Trading Firm.”

He paused for a moment, making sure everyone was paying attention before continuing. ”For example... your ’extracurricular activities’ of plundering players and player killing.”

Khavin and the others immediately stiffened upon hearing that before giving Shin an awkward smile. ”Of course! Of course! We won’t do anything that could damage the reputation of the Hand of Midas.”

”We’ll be good! We’ll be good!” He repeatedly reassured Shin while simultaneously gesturing for his executives to show their agreement.

Shin then finalized the terms of the commission before sealing everything with the Desert Bandits through a System Contract.

”That should be it,” Shin said as he stood up.

Khavin also rose while maintaining his humble attitude.

Shin turned toward him and added, ”You can move all your available manpower to the location I’ve given you.”

”Remember, you must be discreet with your movements to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.”

He paused for a moment before continuing. ”You can move your people in small groups, dispatching them little by little to surround the map.”

”Your job is to ward off any stray players in the region and prevent anyone from interfering with our raid.”

”I can give you the authority to run around the place as you please and act as you normally would with other players. But make sure you don’t interfere with our operation.”

A fierce aura suddenly filled the tent, sending shivers down everyone’s spine.

BOOM!

Shin swept his cold gaze across Khavin and the other executives of the Desert Bandits, making them feel like chickens that could be slaughtered at any moment.

After giving them one final look, Shin left the tent alongside the four members of the Empyrean Talons and the twins who had joined them.

...

With the local arrangements settled, Shin immediately contacted Shiella, informing her of what he had done within the Green Marbly Kingdom, along with the contract he had signed with the Desert Bandits.

Shiella complained a little at first, but she still accepted the free labor they had just acquired, especially considering that the group possessed a decent workforce and extensive local connections.

She was already considering how best to make use of these new ’slaves’ that had practically been handed to her.

After reporting to Shiella, Shin led the rest of the group toward their main destination— the current base of the Silver Knives’ remnants and the faction that had resisted Shiella’s rise as their leader.

The Sandspine Waste.

The Sandspine Waste was nothing like the endless deserts that most people imagined.

Although vast stretches of the region were covered in golden sand, the landscape was far from uniform. Massive stone pillars jutted from the earth like the bones of some ancient creature, while towering cliffs and jagged ridges divided the desert into countless hunting grounds.

Some areas were little more than barren fields of sand, where the scorching wind constantly swept across the ground and carried fine grains through the air.

Others were surprisingly lush.

Hardy shrubs and twisted desert trees grew around hidden water sources, forming patches of greenery that stood out sharply against the surrounding wasteland. Dry riverbeds cut through the terrain, while enormous sinkholes and caverns opened beneath the surface, connecting the depths of the desert to the world above.

The deeper one ventured, the more the land seemed to change.

There were vast sand basins where enormous monsters wandered, rocky valleys surrounded by towering cliffs, and ancient stone formations resembling the exposed spine of some colossal beast buried beneath the desert.

It was a harsh and unforgiving environment, yet for experienced hunters, the Sandspine Waste was also a treasure trove of opportunities.

The abundance of powerful monsters, rare materials, and hidden resources had made this wasteland one of the most lucrative hunting regions in the southeastern part of the Green Marbly Kingdom.

Just like the Monolith Forest, the Sandspine Waste was another regional map bordering both the Raja Desert and the Green Marbly Kingdom.

However, this place served as the true gateway to the Raja Desert.

Monolith Forest was more of a hub for players and NPCs, having developed into a thriving community over time.

The Sandspine Waste, on the other hand, was a genuine hunting ground for the players and NPCs living in the surrounding areas.

This was especially true for players, who regularly ventured into the region to hunt for treasures and grind levels.

The monsters here were just strong enough to provide a suitable challenge for players preparing to venture into the high-level neutral region beyond the map.

There was even a saying among the players that this regional map was the rocky gate leading to the vast expanse of the endless sea of golden sand.

Due to its location, the two major powers in the area—the Desert Sun Coalition and the alliance between Mirage Soul and Illusion Dream—naturally coveted this place.

Unfortunately, the harsh environment and the powerful monsters roaming the region made controlling it extremely taxing.

Both Powerhouse Forces eventually concluded that it wasn’t worth wasting their resources on forcibly controlling the map.

They would rather focus on the other entrances to the Raja Desert that they already controlled than weaken their foundations by trying to maintain this place.

Because of this, the Sandspine Waste had become one of the relatively ’free’ gateways that ordinary experts and mainstream players could use when attempting to venture into the high-level neutral region.

However, this freedom also made the region the most chaotic place in the southeastern part of the Green Marbly Kingdom.

All sorts of players gathered here, and sparks constantly flew whenever old enemies crossed paths or some unruly group attempted to plunder other players.

This also gave the Desert Bandits the perfect justification to run amok throughout the area surrounding the coordinates Shin had provided.

...

Somewhere along the deeper reaches of the Sandspine Waste lay a medium-sized oasis, hidden behind the towering rock formations scattered throughout the region.

Right beside this oasis stood a massive fortress built in a somewhat more modern architectural style, just like the structures commonly seen throughout the other kingdoms and empires.

Its design also differed significantly from the settlements of the Green Marbly Kingdom, which were mostly constructed from solidified mud and hardened bricks.

The fortress itself was particularly striking. The walls surrounding it possessed a faint black luster, while an enormous dome of mana projected above the entire structure, protecting it from potential threats.

...

Standing atop one of the towering rock formations surrounding the fortress, Shin and the others observed their target from afar.

”Tsk! Tsk! It looks like this is going to be a bit tricky,” Alucard commented as he looked at the fortress protected by the powerful mana dome.

”I don’t think it’s possible to force our way into that base through a direct confrontation,” Owen added with a nod.

Shin then explained, ”It’s only natural that they have such a powerful base. After all, Big Sis told me that these guys retained most of the military forces of the Silver Knives.”

He had also heard from Ribbit that the two factions fighting for sovereignty over the organization controlled two very different aspects of its power.

The faction Shiella had absorbed focused primarily on the merchant businesses and other financial assets of the organization.

Those who had broken away, on the other hand, consisted mostly of the military forces and assassins that had served under the Silver Knives.

Of course, Shiella had also managed to seize several decent NPC forces from the opposing faction when she took control of the organization.

However, the opposing faction had likewise managed to take a portion of their businesses and wealth when they were forced to leave, severely damaging the foundation of Shiella’s faction.

Right now, Shin was seeing just how much of the military force the opposing faction had managed to preserve.

The fortress before him was a clear reflection of that strength.

Regardless, Shin remained calm.

Instead, an excited gleam appeared in his eyes.

”This is going to be much more interesting than I expected.”

......