"Wait here, Talon." Liam left the bird outside the city and then walked in along with Asura.
The two of them were covered in black cloaks, so they were not instantly found out when they waltzed into the crowded streets. They mingled in effortlessly as many people were dressed in similar attires hiding their identities.
"Did you hear? These idiots actually thought they could take down a guild with so many experts. Crimson Abyss wiped everyone out."
"Ha ha ha! That is such a big face slap! I was still thinking about whether to join a guild or not. But after this, what is there to think about anymore? I am joining Crimson Abyss."
"What? Just because you want to join, do you think it is easy to join? Idiot. There are strict requirements. You won't get in."
"Bastard! I am getting in. You won't get in. Shut up."
The few players walking next to Liam were bickering continuously. The entire city was talking about the PVP tower tournament and Crimson Abyss guild. Their popularity had exploded.
Liam did not pay any attention to these things and continued walking. The first thing he noticed was the lack of the several meters tall, sky-high building at the center of the city.
He stopped in front of the empty space where the tower previously used to be. There were now only a couple of trees in the same spot and empty ground.
It felt surreal to see such a huge monument disappear. "It really is gone." Liam gaped at the spot.
PVP tower was a huge landmark for the game where players honed their combat skills, and now it was gone just like that. He couldn't believe it.
But was it really over? This was a big change in the timeline, and he was responsible for it. Would there really be no repercussions?
Liam sighed. There was no chance of that. This was going to backfire on him in a big way, maybe. The only thing that was consoling was that… at least the tower master had disappeared.
From what Liam could tell, with that guy's personality, he wouldn't have let him off so easily if he did not have any other choice. So definitely, the guy was injured.
The soul follower he forged from the tower master was also plenty strong. This meant that the original person became that much weaker.
However, his enemy was not someone ordinary. He was one of the top figures in this world. He wouldn't stay weak for too long.
Liam clenched his fist. He needed to become stronger faster. He needed some answers. He glanced one last time at the missing tower and then started walking towards the blacksmith association.
But as he reached the entrance of the building, he suddenly realized something important. He had no idea who that person was.
Every single time they had met previously, the old man had come for him. He did not even know his name!
Liam paused and then continued walking inside. Name or no name, he had to find this guy today. He walked over to the receptionist on the ground floor of the association.
Luckily, there wasn't much crowd today, and this was because of no other than the same old man. Only Liam knew that he was from the blacksmith association. Every player in the city was searching for the same person somewhere else.
They had seen the old man attack the tower, so they came to the obvious conclusion that the tower disappeared because of him. Many speculated that this was the beginning of a hidden quest and didn't want to let this opportunity pass.
Liam walked over to the empty counter and spoke to a thin middle-aged man. However, ten minutes and a few generic descriptions later, the guy chased him away.
"Master, shall I teach that guy a lesson?" Asura was furious for Liam's sake.
"No." Liam shook his head. He then turned around to face the same guy but flashed an emblem at him, his Duke status.
The association assistant's face immediately changed, and he started listening to Liam's every beck and call patiently.
"My Lord, please forgive me. I am really not able to understand whom you are talking about. Maybe one of the elders in the association?"
Liam asked around the place for a while, but this seemed like a dead end. It was almost as if this person did not exist.
"Let's go. Staying here any longer is not going to give us anything." The blacksmith association was a dead end, but Liam knew one other place where he could enquire about the old man.
He pulled up the system interface and checked one of his long-standing quests, the soul sword quest. The old guy who gave this quest seemed like he knew the elder, and his current location was at the local tavern.
If anyone knew about the blacksmith elder, it was this person. Liam hurriedly walked over to the tavern and found the person he was looking for sitting in a corner, fully sloshed.
He was clearly in no mood to talk, but on seeing Liam, he sobered up instantly. "Brat, you finished my master's sword already?" The person stood up from the chair abruptly in shock, only to be disappointed the next second.
The sword's aura was clearly locked. So it couldn't possibly be finished. He sat back down as if he had lost all interest in talking.
However, Liam knew how to bring the interest back. He took out the sword for the man to see. "I have managed to break two seals, sir."
Immediately the old guy's face brightened up again as he picked up the sword and examined it closely. "Indeed. Indeed. Two seals have been broken."
"You have done great. I knew you were the right person to protect my master's legacy." The guy started tearing up, his eyes glistening.
"Sir, thank you for placing your trust in me. I am here to consult with you about the next seal." Liam explained who he was looking for, and the old guy's eyes widened.
"You are searching for Acalan? That old fox is not here in the city at the moment. One second." The man closed his eyes and silently stood still for a few seconds.
"Yes, he is definitely not here in the city."
Liam frowned. He hadn't expected this. Everything about the tower and the tower master was shrouded in mystery. He was hoping to find some answers at least, but the only person who could help him had disappeared.
He tried asking the guy several questions about where he might be able to find the elder, but everything was a dead end.
He returned back to the blacksmith association to ask around as at least he had a name now, and that also did not lead anywhere.
Liam and Asura split up as they asked around several NPCs in the city. After sinking about four more hours in this, there was no one else to ask, and they finally gave up.
It seemed as if this Grandmaster Acalan never existed.
