"How much should we set the price for it?" A chubby middle aged man asked the masked person next to him.
The masked man didn't react, as if he was in a momentary daze, just staring at the mysterious demonic statue.
"I'll take it with me." In the end, he spoke, sealing the statue safely inside a wooden box, before picking up the box himself.
The chubby man watched as the masked man left, wondering just what happened. Previously, the owner never really took interest in anything, no matter how precious it was. However, now that they received this strange item, not only did he personally come, but he was also taking it back with him?
The chubby man couldn't shake off the eerie feeling that lingered in the room even after the masked man left.
He decided that it was better to stay away from anything demonic from now on, but little did he know, the statue was not the only ominous thing that arrived at his doorstep.
****
Gabriel finally stepped out of the Shadow Garden, right before everyone's eyes.
There was only one way out of the Shadow Garden after all, where everyone was waiting for him.
The man from the Skyler Clan revealed a frown, since Gabriel was out so soon. That much time wasn't enough for the youngsters to even get to the Core Region, let alone receiving the legacy.
He couldn't help but wonder if Gabriel became scared after entering, and ran back.
The other clans were also snickering, watching Gabriel back so soon.
"And that's what happens when one talks big without having any skills. They run out, before things start getting hard." One person said out loud.
The Skyler Clan Head stepped closer to Gabriel, a frown covering his face.
"Where are the others? Why are you back alone?" he asked. If Gabriel actually ran away, then it was too cowardly.
But Gabriel stood straight, his expression serious. "They are all inside."
"Then why are you back?!" The man further asked, frowning.
He next glanced at the girl from the Northern Dragon Clan who was next to Gabriel. It was even more weird that she was also back so soon.
He didn't know why, but something felt ominous.
The other clans also started paying attention to him as well. The more they thought about it, the weirder it appeared, especially thanks to the person he was accompanying.
"The two of us fell into a trap. The next thing we knew, we were out of the Shadow Garden, in front of you," Gabriel had already thought of an excuse.
He couldn't say he abandoned others, since that was an unnecessary headache. At the same time, he also couldn't say that the others were dead and that's why he came out.
The only way left was to make it seem like an accident.
The woman from the Northern Dragon Clan also revealed a look of agreement, along with some frustration, as if she was furious that she had fallen into a trap like that.
"There's a trap like that inside? I never knew." The Skyler Clan Head frowned, but he couldn't find a flaw in their words.
The Shadow Garden was a mysterious place. And no one knew exactly how many or what kind of traps there were inside that place.
It was said that there were many traps that hadn't been activated in thousands of years, and no one knew what they did.
If it was Gabriel alone, they could've still doubted his words, but there was the girl from the Northern Dragon Clan, who didn't have a reason to lie.
"What are you doing then? Go back inside and help them!" The middle aged man further exclaimed.
However, to his surprise, Gabriel simply shook his head.
"I've already fallen far behind. Catching up to them is impossible. By the time I reach the same place where I fell into the trap, the others might be out already."
"Do you think I care? Drag your ass back inside! Do you think I paid trash like you to loiter around?" The Clan Head roared, getting even more angry that a young man was talking back to him.
Gabriel only smiled in response. "I'm not your servant. The only reason I was paid was to betray the Stein Clan. You haven't paid me anything to work for you like a servant. And even if you could, I doubt you'll be able to afford me."
He wanted to avoid any confrontation. That's why he lied about what happened inside the Shadow Garden. However, that didn't mean he was scared of confrontation.
The middle aged man's eyes widened to hear Gabriel's response. The young man didn't reveal a trace of fear in his eyes. He didn't know if Gabriel was too brave, or he was just too stupid to not realize when he was standing at the doors of death.
"Yo-" the man tried speaking. However, he stopped before he could even finish his words.
His expressions changed, turning much darker. Not only him, but almost everyone else in that place revealed a stunned expression, as multiple powerful auras seem to be getting closer to them.
The powerful auras were no weaker than them. If anything, they were only stronger. They were the auras of the Beast Overlords.
The Beast Overlords usually didn't make a move at all. However, to everyone's surprise, they were actually on the move this time?
All the clans felt as if they were in danger. They all prepared for battle. Even the Skyler Clan completely forgot about Gabriel for the time being, focusing more on the incoming danger.
The Beast Overlords were notorious for their ruthlessness and destructive power. The clans knew that they had to put aside their differences and unite if they were to have any chance of survival.
Even though they still didn't know what they did wrong to attract the Beast Overlords this time, but no matter what, if they wanted to make it out of this place alive, they had to fight back when needed.
