130 The Price of Fame
In Igor Village, Leonel, Roz, Scar, and Invayne were having a meeting inside one of the rooms in the inn. Since they didn’t have an HQ yet, they temporarily held their meeting inside a private room of an inn.
Leonel only felt uncomfortable looking at Scar, and he fidgeted his hands and tapped his feet. Scar was looking at him with a smile on his face. And though he looked nothing but friendly, Leonel felt that Scar was going to skin him alive.
Leonel felt that even though Scar was smiling, there was something about his aura that was angry. Angry at what, Leonel didn’t know, and he didn’t want to know.
Leonel pulled his gaze and looked anywhere but Scar. His eyes took on the pretty woman with straight black hair standing beside Scar. She was stunning with languid pair of black eyes adored with thick lashes, pouty peachy color lips, and a small unblemished face. She looked like a model with her height and lean frame.
But her expression was cold for Leonel’s liking. She preferred Isolde’s intimidating but warm expression.
“Ahh . . . Why do you want to talk with us again?” Leonel broke the silence. If it’s about the hidden Boss, then he was sorry. He wouldn’t tell Scar how to trigger it since it was Ren’s information, not his.
Rather, he wanted to finish this meeting because Isolde was still waiting for them outside of the inn. They would go to Ren in Kartacol after he met with Mike and Saya and ask them to join him.
“It’s regarding the Hidden Boss, Ice Troll,” Scar said straightaway.
Leonel raised his hand and sighed. “Sorry to burst your bubbles, but it’s not our information to give.”
At the side, Roz was just silently listening with pressed lips. He felt like something terrible was about to happen when Invayne looked at him with dead eyes.
Scar crossed his hands, unbothered. “Actually, I heard that you wanted to enter Black Lion. I can give you a spot in exchange for the information and . . . the spell or skill book that you acquired in the Crystal Chest for getting firstblood. You can keep the equipment. We just need that Book.”
Leonel was dumbfounded. They already agreed to give that Book to Ren since he was the one who knew about the Hidden Boss. The three of them were already contended with the equipment.
Even with his kind and naïve nature, he was not about to blindly follow Scar’s words. “I’m sorry I can’t give it to you.”
There was no use lying about the Book since everyone knew that getting first blood would yield a [Crystal Chest] that contained either a [Spell Book] or a [Skill Book].
“I think . . . I won’t be entering Black Lion after all,” Leonel added with a serious face and voice.
Scar straightened his back on his seat. “I heard what happened, and I already punished Gerald for what he did to you. However, if you still don’t want to enter the guild, then that is fine . . . but . . .”
Scar shifted his attention to Roz, and the latter’s heart leaped twice over.
“What about him?” Scar added. “Mike had a contract with Roz to serve Black Lion until he gets a rare class. Our contract with Mike and Saya stated that they could stay on probation until Roz gets a rare class. All in all, everything depends on Roz. But . . . if we happen to kick Roz out of Black Lion, then . . . that’s the end for Mike and Saya as well.”
Leonel saw dark for a moment. “Are you . . . blackmailing us? That’s not fair. That’s a breach of contract!”
Scar only smiled. “No. Our contract is only with Mike and Saya, so there’s no breach of contract on our part. Besides, haven’t you heard the news?”
“What news?” Leonel asked through the gap of his gnashing teeth.
Scar looked at Invayne for a moment, and the latter forwarded a piece of information to Leonel and Roz.
“Apparently, Roz here had picked someone who he shouldn’t have. Lira has millions of fans, and all of them are shading Black Lion because we accepted him into our guild.”
Scar took a deep breath and shook his head a little. “Now tell me that I don’t have any good reason for kicking Roz out of the guild. Our reputation is in shambles because of him.”
Scare leaned forward to Leonel and Roz, staring at the two with a serious face. “No guild would accept him. But I am willing . . . in exchange for that Book. We will forget that this all happened, and everything will resume like before. Roz gets to stay. Mike and Saya get to stay. You can get to stay if you like.”
“. . .”
“. . .”
Both Leonel and Roz went silent.
Guilt was consuming Leonel again, knowing Lira was still ruining the kid’s life even in this virtual world. This was Roz’s second chance. What would happen to him if, even in this world, he was shunned?
In comparison, Roz was biting his lip so hard to the point that it bled. His palms were also hurting from how hard he was fisting his fingers.
He then looked at Leo, and forced a smile that only made Leonel feel worse.
“It’s fine, Leo. We’ll just move to another Zone and start fresh there. Maybe that girl’s influence doesn’t reach there.”
“I doubt it,” cut in Invayne. It was the first time that she talked. Her white lotus face didn’t go well with how unsympathetic her voice was. “Lira’s influence is greater in other Zones. In fact, she has so many fans in Zone B and C compared to zone A. Anywhere you go, you’re not safe. The only option for you is here.”
“. . .”
“. . .”
Roz looked at the two people in front of him. He couldn’t fault them, for they were also looking for their own interest. It was just that . . . those two had it all.
He knew about them from billboards and magazines. Fancy cars, multiple properties, and apartments and earning seven figures monthly or more. They practically have the world in their hands, and yet . . . why him?
He was only a regular person who earned four digits a month — a typical guy in the neighborhood who couldn’t even afford to pay rent on time.
Life was hard for him . . . but why do these guys . . . who practically have it all, want to make it harder?
While Roz was struggling with his emotions, Leonel could do nothing but give up. They were talking about Roz’s life, after all. Noting was more important than that.
“Could you give me a minute?” Leonel asked Scar.
“Take all the minute you like,” he said, but in truth, he was also in a hurry. He still had to confront Ren about the false information he gave him.
At the memory, Scar’s mood plummeted. Not long ago, they came out of Vulcan’s Cave unsuccessful for the fourth time now. He announced to the world that he was so sure to defeat the Boss this time but came out defeated again.
He was sure that the headlines for today were his blunder and how he ate his own words.
Scar saw red for a second when he remembered the embarrassment and humiliation he felt. He even had to do damage control, but his effort was useful since the internet didn’t care if he had money or not. The news of his fourth blunder spread so fast it was impossible to cover up.
His face even became a meme. Some even ridiculed him, saying to forget about Vulcan’s Cave Hard difficulty. At the same time, his team was also advising him to move on to another dungeon.
But this irritated him, and he wanted nothing more than to prove that he could clear that cave no matter what.
It was just . . . Scar’s hands fisted . . . that guy Ren!
He gave him false information!
He was about to storm Ren in Kartacol himself if not for Invayne’s urgent message about a Hidden Boss.
Scar took a deep breath to calm his nerves. The Book was much more important right now. They had to secure it, especially when it was just within their reach and they didn’t have to pay thousands for it.