Gardener of Eden

Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Bounty

As the last echoes of the strike faded into the pristine cavern air, Rueben’s carbonized torso gave a brittle, hollow crack. The black, burnt shell of his body collapsed inward, disintegrating into a shower of harmless gray cinders that dissolved into the vibrant meadow soil below.

Before the S-Rank target’s severed head could suffer the same fate under the purifying rays of [Breath of Eden - Lv. 5], Rowan moved with effortless, adventuring precision.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Rowan summoned a reinforced, lead-lined stasis container from his spatial ring—a heavy titanium vault lined with dampening runic locks specifically crafted for high-tier target verification. Catching the charred head mid-air, Rowan scooped it into the padded interior and slammed the heavy lid shut.

CLACK-CLICK.

The runic seals along the container ignited with a soft azure glow, locking the contents in total temporal stasis and preserving Rueben’s unique necrotic mana signature perfectly for imperial verification.

Barney let out a low, appreciative whistle, wiping a streak of sweat from his brow as he leaned on the haft of the Hammer of the Sunken Bastion. ”Twenty million Gold and a direct Crown Commendation... Not a bad day’s work for a morning stroll through the lower floors.”

”The money is nice, but forcing the Imperial Ministry to admit that a farm squad purged the entire Order of Humanity footprint in a single afternoon will be priceless,” Seraphina added with a sharp, satisfied smirk, setting her Crucible of Eternal Transmutation back onto her belt. ”The Enforcers have been chasing his trail for seven years.”

”They’ll have a hard time arguing with the biological proof,” Caelen said, sheathing his broadsword as he looked around at the flower-covered hills of the newly transformed floor. ”Nor can they deny what happened to Floor 12.”

Rowan hefted the heavy, sealed container in one hand, feeling the solid weight of their victory, before stowing it securely into his spatial storage. He adjusted the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat, looking across his squad with a warm, grounded smirk.

”Twenty Million Gold buys a lot of resources for our future use,” Rowan said smoothly, resting the Hoe of the World-Tiller over his shoulder. ”Let’s gather our gear and head back down the portal. Dad said to be back in time for dinner, and I don’t intend to keep Mom and Dad waiting.”

***

With camp packed and their gear secured, Squad 07 turned away from the sprawling, flower-covered hills of the newly reborn Floor 12 and stepped into the glowing azure arch of the transit portal.

When the blinding spatial light cleared, they emerged back onto the bustling main plaza of The Keystone Citadel on Floor 10.

The central avenue was in absolute chaos. Imperial Vanguard platoons in heavy silver armor were barked into formation, while scouts from major international guilds rushed back and forth with high-grade sensory arrays. The massive holographic screens hovering over the trade halls were still flashing red warning banners, broadcasting Rueben’s S-Rank file and warning all climbers that the Rot-Weaver was believed to be hiding in the mid-floor transit zones.

A heavily armored Imperial Enforcer Commander was standing atop the primary portal platform, shouting orders into a communications talisman. ”Set up defensive perimeters on Floors 11 and 12! Do not engage directly—wait for the S-Rank strike teams!”

Rowan stepped off the portal pad, the Hoe of the World-Tiller resting casually over his shoulder, his Enchanted Straw Hat tilted slightly forward. Right behind him walked Barney, Caelen, Mirei, and Seraphina, looking utterly unbothered, without a single drop of sweat or blood on their gear—only the faint, crisp scent of fresh Eden rain clinging to their cloaks.

The Imperial Commander stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he recognized Squad 07. ”Hold on... Squad 07? You just came down from the upper transit lift! Did you encounter any necrotic miasma on the upper floors? The Rot-Weaver is—”

”He’s handled,” Rowan interrupted smoothly, his voice calm and even.

With a light flick of his wrist, Rowan retrieved the heavy, titanium stasis container from his spatial storage and set it onto the Enforcer commander’s staging desk with a solid THUD.

The commander blinked, staring at the lead-lined vault in confusion. ”Handled? What is this?”

Seraphina stepped forward, her Crucible of Eternal Transmutation hovering an inch above her palm. She tapped the container’s primary runic lock with a slender finger, causing the azure seals to click open just enough for the internal scanning array to read the contents.

A crisp, imperial chime echoed across the entire plaza, cutting through the noise of thousands of shouting adventurers.

IMPERIAL VERIFICATION SYSTEM: ONLINE

Target Identified: Rueben ”The Rot-Weaver” (S-Rank)

Biological Status: DECEASED / TERMINATED

Necrotic Core Status: Severed & Neutralized

Bounty Status: Confirmed — 20,000,000 Gold / Crown Commendation

Silence fell over the Keystone Citadel like a lead sheet.

Guild scouts froze in mid-stride. Mercenary captains dropped their drink mugs. The Imperial Enforcer Commander stared at the holographic readout, his jaw practically hitting the polished granite floor.

”Twenty... twenty million Gold...” the commander stuttered, his hands shaking as he looked up from the terminal to Rowan’s unbothered, golden-amber eyes. ”You... you found him? On Floor 12? In less than three hours?!”

”Floor 12 is clean,” Barney grinned, leaning heavy on the Hammer of the Sunken Bastion and enjoying every second of the stunned silence. ”In fact, if your boys want to take a break from running around, Floor 12 is currently a very nice meadow. Great place for a picnic.”

”Wire the bounty to our guild account at the Imperial Bank,” Seraphina said, snapping the container lid shut and sliding the official verification receipt into her pouch. ”And let the Defense Ministry know they can stand down the lower-floor lockdown. The Order of Humanity has been purged from Floor 1 through Floor 12.”

Before the commander or the surrounding crowd of elite guild leaders could find their voices to ask a single question, Rowan turned back toward the main gateway.

”Squad 07, let me know when the spatial carriage is ready,” Rowan said with a soft smirk, adjusting his hat. ”Dinner’s waiting.”

The sun was setting in a brilliant display of crimson and gold over Sunny Vale Manor by the time the squad walked up the cobblestone path. The peaceful, rhythmic hum of the Fragment of the Origin Earth Pulse resonated beneath the soil, welcoming them back to the farm.

The front door swung open before they even reached the porch. Martha stood in the doorway, wearing her favorite apron, while Arthur leaned casually against the wooden frame with a proud, warm smile. The rich, mouth-watering aroma of slow-cooked beef stew, freshly baked herb bread, and roasted Sun-Dappled Tomatoes drifted out into the cool evening air.

”Timing is as sharp as ever, son,” Arthur chuckled, clapping Rowan on the shoulder as the team filed inside. ”We saw the news update on the television ten minutes ago. The Imperial Ministry was practically tripping over themselves trying to explain how a five-person team cleared twelve floors of cultists before sunset.”

”They’ll be processing the paperwork for a week,” Rowan smiled, handing his Enchanted Straw Hat to the rack near the door and setting the Hoe of the World-Tiller in its customary corner.

”Never mind the Enforcers,” Martha said warmly, ushering Barney, Seraphina, Mirei, and Caelen toward the giant dining table already loaded with steaming dishes. ”Wash up, everyone. You’ve had a long day, and dinner is officially served.”

As Squad 07 sat down together around the table, laughing and digging into the fresh, uncorrupted feast of Sunny Vale, the television in the corner softly reported the total restoration of Floor 12—a peaceful backdrop to a job well done.