Chapter 708: An Illegal Smuggler

A few days before the events in Ilios, Arthur was still in Yalenia, the capital of Yalen. He left the mansion, where he overheard the conversation between Idris and Vihan. He left the estate feeling slight emptiness.

Arthur had a lot of things to do at the moment. One of them was closing the gates before they spewed even more invaders and calamities. That was his goal with Ascent. However, he couldn"t turn a blind eye to what Ivy was going through since he owed her a lot.

"I might be able to get her out of there without causing too many troubles," pondered Arthur as he walked through the streets of Yalen. "However, I might be needed back at the guild."

Arthur contacted Julia after that. If she said he needed to come back, he would send some of his shadows to where Ivy was. It might be wishful thinking, but it was better than going there in person. Thus, he called Julia.

"This is a weird coincidence. I wanted to talk to you about that," said Julia. "I know we"ve been having problems recruiting because most nations criminalized our guild, but Ilios is a different matter. We lost contact with our agents."

"The one you"ve hired to spread the recruiting guidelines?"

"Yes, unfortunately. I fear something happened to them. The applications have been growing less from Ilios, and I think something big is happening there. I tried probing into the matter using my connections to Runera, but my city cut ties with Ilios after what you revealed."

"I have some clues about what is going on there," said Arthur as he stared into the distance. "You want me to take care of it?"

"If you can, then yes. If my hunch is right, then the empire is obstructing our recruiting of the common people. If such tyranny exists, it might be a good chance to recruit some powerful people into our guild."

"It might get messy, given the situation."

"Since the empire tried to kill you, it"s only appropriate to take revenge. So you aren"t the least bit angry for what they did?"

"I used to be, but it was just a matter of time before they find me. I didn"t think of them as the enemy since everyone was at that time."

"But now you have us," said Julia. Arthur paused before he chuckled. "Go over there and handle it, boss!"

"Fine. Let the rest of the guild members clear as many dungeons as possible using our credentials. We need to increase our rank as soon as possible."

"Yessir! Once we become a t.i.tan Guild, the world can no longer make a criminal of us!" said Julia before she ended the call. Arthur pocketed his phone and stared at the Tower of Yearning.

"A t.i.tan Guild, huh?" muttered Arthur with a smile. It seemed like a distant dream, but it was just a matter of time. Once he reaches that level, the world will have to acknowledge him as a superpower.

The seven families won"t be able to attack him openly since the t.i.tan guilds would interfere to preserve the power balance. Therefore, Arthur needed to survive until that time to gain his voice in the world.

"I need to get to Ilios, but teleporting there might prove difficult since I know nothing about the terrain." Moreover, Arthur had no coordinates to follow to pinpoint his portal. "It might be easier to teleport there using the station."

After using a disguise rune, Arthur went toward the station but couldn"t enter any portals connecting to Ilios. Once he asked about the reason, he was told that Ilios needed a special permit the moment to enter. His frown deepened, and he left the station.

"Hey, brother!" shouted a man from behind him. Arthur turned around to see a slim young man huffing after him, wearing a black suit that made him seem reliable. "You are quick on your feet! Are you in a hurry?"

"Who are you?"

"I"m just a businessman! I help people who want to enter Ilios but can"t at the moment due to circ.u.mstances. I saw you asking about a way to enter Ilios in the station. You are lucky since I have just the thing for that!"

"You mean an illegal smuggler?"

"Shush! Shush! Such accusations hurt the business, brother. Please be kind with your words. I"m just a helping businessman who has a shipment to Ilios that is about to leave. It wouldn"t hurt to help others, right?"

"If that is how you like to phrase it, then sure," said Arthur as he folded his arms. "I have other methods of getting there myself."

"Reaching Ilios is not the issue, brother," the thin man waved his finger with a smile. "I heard it"s on such a lockdown that if you are seen without a permit, you will go behind bars!"

"And how are you going to fix that?"

"I have a friend who knows someone, a cousin working in the Civil Hall. We can get you a permit once you are there, for a certain price. How about it, brother?"

Arthur stared at the shady man and then looked behind him. Although the station had many people coming in and out, he could feel someone watching them. It might be this man"s protection.

"Alright, then," smiled Arthur. "Take me to Ilios, and I"ll pay you."

"Great! That would be three million dollars!" the man reached out to give Arthur a handshake, but Arthur didn"t reach out. Instead, he looked at the man silently. "Fine, two million!"

"Tell me if I look like an idiot to you," Arthur said before leaning forward. "Three people: south, east, and west. Another four are watching us from the bridge behind me."

The man stiffened as the location of his men got exposed. Arthur could easily spot them since his perception depended on existence rather than lifeforce. As for the man, he started sweating and gave a shaky smile.

"How about three hundred thousand?" said the man with his hand still outstretched. "Two hundred thousand? I really can"t go any lower, as I would make a loss."

"You are a businessman indeed," said Arthur as he shook his hand. The man sighed in relief and adjusted his necktie. "I need to leave immediately."

"You are our last pa.s.senger! How about we take a ride toward my a.s.sociates? If you are worried about safety, and that is right, then we can agree on a place and meet there!"

"I have no concern, so lead me there," said Arthur as he started walking to a car parked outside the station. The man was left speechless before he ran after him, trying to strike a conversation with Arthur.

"You seem quite perceptive, mister. How about you help us reach our destination safely and I can give you a discount? You can think of it as a two-birds-one-stone situation."

"If I accept, I must protect you if something goes wrong. I would rather just leave instead of being bound by my word. Therefore, I decline."

"Don"t be so cold, friend! If push comes to shove, then we are all in this together. After all, you still need me when you get there."

"If push comes to shove, then there are alternatives. So, tell me, businessman. What illegal goods are you transporting?" asked Arthur as he entered the car and sat down. The man entered after him and stiffened when he heard Arthur"s question.

"There are no illegal goods, haha! We are just sending some supplies to our guild. What makes you think that, good sir?"

"You are looking for funding through illegal smuggling, which means this is far from an honest trade. You are cornered and have to take strangers into your large organized crime. Whatever you are delivering, you need money for it, and that means you are no simple merchant. Instead, you are spending money for a cause."

"We might have gotten ourselves a troublesome guest," the man said with a sly smile. "However, it doesn"t seem like you would mind any answer I give you, so how about we turn a blind eye to each other"s business?"

"That works well for me," said Arthur with a smile. The rest of the ride was silent, and the car left Yalenia. At some point, they entered through a hidden road in the wilderness that led into a tunnel.

The car stopped in an underground loading dock, buzzing with workers shouting and transporting containers to a ship. It was a flying vessel like the one the Unbroken Corps used. A group of suited men came to receive them as soon as they arrived.

"Sir, we are ready to set sail!"

"The arrays have charged fully. We can leave as soon as you decide," said another woman in a suit before she noticed Arthur. "Is this another guest?"

"He is; show him his quarters. Prepare to set sail. I want us out of Yalen by midnight!" said the man as he took several reports from them. Arthur was surprised to see that he was the one in charge.