"Mm?"
"Kaizen, a lot of people here have actually heard of Kroll. But every time they show up, it's always so mysterious—they appear out of nowhere, and vanish just as quickly."
"Still, lately, there's been no sign of them at all."
"Some folks are wondering if they've just packed up and left."
Kaizen frowned slightly.
This kind of information wasn't something you could just dig up online. You had to be here in person, or have someone from the local intel network.
If Kroll really had left, then no matter how hard Ponzu's bees searched, they'd come up empty-handed.
"Let's go check out again. If they really are gone, we'll have to call this mission off early."
"Then once we're back at Heavens Arena, we'll pick a new target."
Nina nodded.
Two more days passed. Still no leads.
Just when Kaizen was about to pull the plug—
That night, a rumor spread like wildfire across the border.
"At the far edge of the desert lies a treasure left behind by the 17th Sand Bandit King!"
"And Kroll himself confirmed it!"
"He said anyone who finds the Sand Bandit King's hidden treasure will be rewarded with ten billion Jenny!"
"And even if you don't find it, as long as you join the hunt, you'll get a million Jenny just for participating!"
The border erupted into chaos.
Everyone here was a desperado—people who'd do anything for money.
And ten billion Jenny? That was more than enough to drive anyone mad.
...
"Let's go! Hurry!"
"We're all going!"
"I'll be the one to find that treasure!"
"Ten billion Jenny? That's mine!"
A frenzy overtook the crowd.
Kaizen narrowed his eyes.
"Captain, are we going too?"
It all felt too convenient. Just like that job back in the Republic of Mimbo, when Kaizen was hired to search for the Kurta clan's hidden village.
Mimbo hired loads of mercenaries—just to use them as cannon fodder.
The desert was huge.
But if all they were doing was looking for something, there was no reason to offer that kind of reward.
Ten billion Jenny…
Even half of that would be enough to mobilize an army.
And on top of that, every participant was promised a million Jenny.
That was far more than what Mimbo paid for the Kurta mission.
"There's a high probability this is a trap. And if it is, it won't be a small one."
Some others, like Kaizen, were starting to feel the same way.
But most were already blinded by the size of the bounty.
They rushed forward like moths to a flame.
"Captain, what do we do?"
Kaizen thought for a moment before answering.
"We'll get involved—but we won't go too deep. Stay near the outskirts of the crowd. The treasure isn't our goal."
"Our objective is to gather intel on the Kroll gang."
"And to find out what's really going on with all this."
Kaizen knew this was risky.
But he also had a trump card.
Sumas's space. His personal pocket dimension—perfect for emergencies. If things went south, he could instantly pull his team to safety.
Decision made.
...
A huge number of people emerged from hiding and began flooding the edge of the desert.
Most of the time, these types operated in secret.
It was rare—almost unheard of—for so many to gather all in one place.
Even the locals hadn't realized how many people were hiding near the border.
Until now.
Now it became clear—there were thousands.
A lone figure walked to the front of the crowd.
A woman. Short, stocky, with long brown hair.
No doubt about it—she was a Nen user.
"Nothing about her in the intel network," Kaizen noted to himself.
The woman surveyed the gathered masses.
"Thank you all for coming," she announced. "Kroll-sama is very pleased. The bounty we promised will not change. We hope you'll all give it your best."
"Good luck to you all."
"Head into the desert—now!"
"If you find the Sand Bandit King's hidden treasure, you'll earn enough wealth to live the rest of your lives in luxury! And you'll also gain Kroll-sama's favor!"
"The treasure lies deep in the desert!"
"Now go!"
She stepped aside.
Kaizen and his group blended into the crowd without drawing attention.
A Nen user's aura varies with strength.
But that's only when they're actively fighting.
When using In—concealment—their aura appears totally different.
Only Kaizen, Tessia, and Shizuku needed to suppress their aura.
The others were all mid-grade C-rank Nen users. Not flashy enough to raise suspicion.
Kaizen, Tessia, and Shizuku were experts at hiding their true presence.
What they projected now was no stronger than a C-rank.
"Ponzu, is the queen bee sensing anything?"
Ponzu shook her head.
"No."
Based on Kaizen's assessment, Kroll should be an A-rank—about equal to him in strength.
If Kroll were nearby, the queen bee would definitely be uneasy.
The fact that she wasn't reacting meant Kroll wasn't here in person.
The mob surged into the desert.
...
The brown-haired woman watched them go, then disappeared in a blur.
She reappeared in a hidden chamber.
At the far end sat a middle-aged man, resting on a raised dais.
"Kroll-sama."
The woman knelt on one knee.
Kroll gave a small nod. "Is everything in place?"
"Yes, Kroll-sama. Everything is going according to plan. Those people will do anything for money. With a ten-billion bounty dangling in front of them, they couldn't resist."
She continued, "Over three thousand have already gone into the desert. Many are young, with good physical aptitude."
"How many?"
"Rough estimate—three thousand or more."
Kroll frowned. "Not enough."
"Send agents to other regions. Bring in more—but do it quietly. No one can suspect a thing. Otherwise, everything we've built will go to waste."
"If this fails, we'll have to relocate the entire operation."
The woman nodded.
"Yes, Kroll-sama."
...
Under her direction, more and more people entered the desert, drawn by dreams of fortune.
And deeper and deeper they went, chasing after a legend...
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)