Chapter 29: Temporary truce.

The men shifted uncomfortably, their greedy smiles faltering slightly.

One of the men nervously tapped the leader’s shoulder. "Hey, Ocean... maybe we should just give up on the stones. Think about it. What kind of small girl makes it all this way into the deep jungle and clears a dungeon in such a short time on her own without a scratch? Something is fishy here. She might be powerful figure in disguise."

Ocean narrowed his eyes, staring intensely at Zyra as if trying to gauge her true strength. Zyra stared back, not blinking even once. Inside, her heart was racing, but her expression was a mask of pure confidence. She was highly trained as a soul maiden, she knew she could easily take on an adult male in close combat, even with their guns.

As long as she increased her strength and speed, she was 60% confident in securing a win. Her snake added another 10% maybe. But there were ten of them. In a chaotic firefight, all it would take was one stray bullet to end her life.

She needed to change her strategy.

Zyra let out a loud, bored sigh and crossed her arms. "How about this? I lead your group to another beast dungeon, we clear it, share the loot and everyone goes home alive."

The men instantly looked at each other in utter shock. It had taken their squad months of wandering and losing men just to find this one beast dungeon. How was this random girl supposed to just lead them to another one? Besides, in this brutal world, people did not just give up valuable information like dungeon locations easily. That was information sold only on the black market, and it was usually stolen from government facilities.

Ocean raised a skeptical brow, his knife finally stopping its rotation. "And how exactly did you find this dungeon, girl? Who is your information source?"

"How I found it doesn’t matter," Zyra replied smoothly. "The same way I found this one is the exact same way I found the next one."

Ocean suddenly burst out laughing like a maniac, the sound echoing creepily through the trees. "You expect me to believe that? Even the tracking squads who have high-grade Stone Salamanders aren’t that good at locating hidden dungeons!"

"Or maybe she is working with someone in the government. Or a big clan. Their people are always searching the world for new dungeons." Another said

"Perhaps," another mercenary chimed in, squinting at her. "Is she using some kind of special compass? Or maybe a Half-Life beast with better tracking abilities than a salamander?"

"Could be high tech drones." Someone suggested.

Half of the men looked up, but not one drone could be seen through the thick canopy.

A sharp-eyed scout near the back shook his head. "No, I’ve been watching her. The girl doesn’t have a Half-Life beast accompanying her at all."

Ocean’s laughter cut off instantly, replaced by a harsh glare. "Speak up, girl. What’s your secret? I can smell it all over you, and I am not talking about whatever filth you took a bath in." He pinched his nose. "Seriously, you stink."

Zyra let out a short, angry sigh. Losing her patience, she screamed. "Just take the deal or let’s fight it out. Don’t waste my time. The sooner I kill you, the sooner I go home."

The men’s hands tightened on their weapons. Some took a step back, deterred by her confidence. She seemed so sure that she was going to win. And when a lone fighter said that, after clearing a dungeon alone, it was wise to be wary.

Ocean huffed. "Just tell me how you located another dungeon and we have a deal. I won’t ask what you found in there or try to take it. But that is only if we do find that dungeon."

Zyra touched her arm, eyes narrowed. It was time to test the waters and see if anyone else could see the map. If they could, she would have to kill them to protect herself. "I think the Shardhorn boss grazed me."

Ocean’s eyes flicked to her hand. "I see nothing, stop stalling."

She secretly let out a relieved breath. Her tattoo was only visible to her. At least, nobody would kidnap her to be used as a location device.

"My senses are uniquely attuned to energy signatures. I can find any dungeon in this jungle if I put my mind to it." She lied.

Ocean sneered, tossing his knife into the air and catching it. "And you think I’m stupid enough to believe a fairy tale like that?"

The other men laughed or mocked.

Zyra shrugged, her face the definition of pure indifference. "I don’t care if you believe me or not. If you want the six low grade stones in my bag and few antlers, I will hand them over and go on to claim a bigger prize alone." She opened the bag and emptied the contents on the ground. Three Shardhorn antlers, six low grade stones."

"That’s all!" Ocean exploded.

Zyra jumped up and down two times. "Does it seem to you like I am hiding anything else? The boss Shardhorn’s antlers shattered in the fight. I used poison in the fight, so all the meat is inedible. Go inside and check, if you doubt me. I am going to find the other dungeon." She turned on her heel and began to walk away, her steps slow and deliberate.

"Wait!" Ocean barked.

Zyra stopped, a small smirk playing on her lips, though she kept her back turned. When Ocean spoke again, his voice was much calmer, filled with a desperate kind of greed. "Hold on. We can... share the stones. Fifty-fifty."

Before Zyra could answer, a slim, pale hunter quickly grabbed Ocean’s arm, his voice frantic. "Ocean, are you crazy? You can’t make a rogue alliance like this without the knowledge of the Boss! If he finds out...."

"Fuck the Boss!" Ocean hissed, violently shaking his arm free. "Achilles is sitting comfortably in town while we are out here rotting and dying in the mud! We have been out here for three days and have nothing to show for it except the IDs of our dead brothers. I don’t care what the Boss has to say about this. We need to feed our families."

The other men looked at each other nervously, but the allure of wealth and desperation for survival overwhelmed their caution. Nobody said a word to defend their leader.

Zyra turned around slowly, crossing her arms again. "The share percentage will be 60-40. I am 60, you guys are 40. If you try to renege, I will kill you all and take everything for myself." If she asked for the smaller cut, they would think she was afraid. As long as she projected confidence, they would be wary of her. In this era, strength was the boss. "And if we’re partnering up, what do I get in return? I don’t work for free."

Ocean and his men looked utterly confused. They were a gang of ten, heavily armed hunters surrounding a lone girl, and she was the one demanding terms? He rubbed his temples, knowing he desperately needed her tracking skills. "Fine. What do you want, brat?"

"The name is Zee and what I want in return is protection." She said firmly. "Before we go to the next dungeon, I have to go to Greenwich Town. I have something very important to pick up that will help us determine the strength of the beasts inside. All I know is that whatever is inside, it’s dangerous. There is a Purple Fangwort in the area."

It was an herb that sharpened the senses of a half-life beast. It was worth 100,000 mid-grade stones.

As soon as she said this, the men came to life. The desire danced in their eyes.

Ocean gritted his teeth but nodded anyway, accepting all her demands. He walked up to her, leaning in so close she could smell the stale tobacco on his breath. "We go to Greenwich first. But that next dungeon better exist, brat. Because if you are lying to me... I will personally cut off your head. Understood?"

"Crystal clear," Zyra said, completely unbothered.

All she needed was to blend into a group, make it to town, pick up her supplies and return to the jungle. This group, even if they realized who she was would not give her up for the mayor’s reward. The promise of a dungeon was more tempting.

Ocean turned to his crew, his expression darkening into a stern warning. "Listen to me, all of you. Not a single word about this girl to anyone. If anyone asks, she is my sister Genina, visiting from the village. Nobody tells Achilles. If anyone opens their mouth, I’ll feed them to my beast."

Zyra raised her brow. "Sister Genina?"

He scoffed. "Brat, there is a lot of activity by the back edges. We picked up a signal. All those guilds are looking for a girl, but she is dead." He laughed. "I am not fool. They must be after you. Is this about the dungeon, because I am not letting anyone take it from me."

She could have told the truth, but the truth was irrelevant. As long as they believed in the dungeon, they would kill for her. For now, this temporary truce was what she needed. "Yes."