Feeling the terrifying pressure, Howard’s expression grew solemn.

No wonder she was so confident!

The intensity of that pressure alone indicated a strength of at least Level 60.

And to think, this woman didn’t appear to be much older, probably not even thirty!

Though she couldn’t compare with the likes of Tana and others from top-tier academies, possessing such prowess at her age was quite extraordinary, especially given her non-prestigious background.

“What if I refuse? Can I still enter this camp?” Howard didn’t immediately agree, his gaze still surveying the numerous awakened within the camp.

Meanwhile, the group of awakened also noticed Howard, their gazes shifting towards him.

“That won’t be necessary,” Corinna Maya replied, shaking her head. “The night is falling, and the Dark Mausoleum is swarming with skeleton monsters. You, being a physically frail magus, won’t be turned away for the night. However, there is a fee for staying. You can leave in the morning.”

Howard smiled. “Then please allow me a moment to consider. After all, I have only just entered the Dark Mausoleum and am not yet fully aware of the current situation.”

“Of course!” Corinna Maya said. “The fee for staying overnight is either 20 gold coins per person or one hour of night watch. The choice is yours.”

Upon hearing this, Howard immediately took out 20 gold coins and handed them to Corinna Maya.

It’s undeniable that where there are people, there will be society.

The Dark Mausoleum, which should have been dominated by monsters, was now occupied by teams of awakened, who even found a way to profit from it!

“Prompt decision! Since you’re not yet aware of the current situation, Ashley, please fill him in.”

Corinna Maya, unbothered by Howard’s response, gave a subtle signal to the woman behind her and then turned to leave with her assassin.

Ashley played with her fiery red hair and smiled, “Hey, handsome, you seem quite capable, managing to venture deep into the Dark Mausoleum all by yourself.”

“Just lucky, I guess.”

Howard replied with a slight smile, then curiously asked, “Have you been here for a long time?”

“We’ve been in the vicinity for five days,” Ashley sighed. “Unfortunately, during this time, we haven’t found any information about the Starry River Map. Instead, more and more awakened are arriving here.”

Pausing for a moment, Ashley continued, “Just in these nearby mountain ranges, there are now over ten camps, each housing hundreds of people. Imagine how difficult it is to get the Starry River Map?”

“Fortunately, my goal is simply to fish in troubled waters and earn some rewards. When the exotic treasures emerge, many ordinary treasures will accompany them, and those are what I’m really after.”

Hearing Ashley’s words, Howard nodded in understanding.

Many awakened, in fact, harbored this very idea.

If luck favored them and they obtained a Supreme Treasure, that would be great. But even if they didn’t, they could still mix in to earn some other rewards. As long as they survived, their efforts these days would yield a considerable return.

“Now, among the nearby camps, only three factions are the most powerful. One is ours, another is led by the strong ones from White Tiger City, and the third is from Sonodin City, led by Baron Moss. It’s said that Moss’s seventh son has personally come here.”

“And besides…”

Ashley lowered her voice, “The reason why our camp is among the strongest three is because the team from Black Tortoise City has joined us. In the entire camp, they are undoubtedly the most formidable. You must be careful not to offend them!”

Following Ashley’s gaze, Howard saw a group of about a dozen people sitting together. Among them were two elderly men with white beards, who looked to be at least in their eighties.

Protected by the others sat a young girl in a white dress, clearly of the highest status among them.

A thought struck Howard – Black Tortoise City!

If he remembered correctly, Old Smokey seemed to have connections with people from Black Tortoise City. According to Glutton, the representatives from Black Tortoise City were descendants of someone Old Smokey was fond of!

In that case, Howard could have a favorable relationship with Black Tortoise City, potentially even allies.

Thinking quickly, Howard then asked, “Are there only representatives from the major cities? What about the Church and those powers? Haven’t they made a move?”

Ashley looked at Howard in surprise, puzzled, “Don’t you know that those top-tier powers are not allowed to be active within the Alliance?”

“Oh?!” Howard shook his head, laughing naively, “I’m just an independent cultivator. I really didn’t know about this.”

Upon hearing this, Ashley couldn’t help but laugh softly, her fair chest rising and falling with amusement.

Patting Howard’s shoulder, she explained, “The forces of the Church are too powerful. Therefore, the Alliance, to protect smaller powers like us, restricts their activities within the Alliance’s boundaries.”

“Otherwise, whenever any treasure appears, if they were to join in, what chance would we stand?”

“Especially the Church. I’ve heard that within the Church there’s a Holy Cavalry Order. Those who are selected to join are at least Level 80, and the cavalry leaders are even more formidable, reaching Level 90. They are far stronger than us ordinary folk.”

Listening to Ashley, Howard’s understanding of this world deepened further.

It had to be said, being in different strata brought about entirely different perspectives of the world.

If Howard had just stayed within the academy, he would have never known these details.

This realization further solidified his belief that he absolutely must not follow a routine academic life.

“Alright, I’ve told you all this! Handsome, I have a good impression of you. If you’re willing to join our camp, maybe we can spend an enjoyable weekend together!” As she spoke, Ashley flicked her tongue lightly across her red lips.

Such low-level seduction had no effect on Howard.

He was not as harmless as he might appear on the surface!

After bidding farewell to a visibly disappointed Ashley, Howard casually found a spot to sit and turned his gaze towards the people from Black Tortoise City.

The young girl, who was being guarded like a star surrounded by the moon, wasn’t much older in age. Her appearance was also quite striking, not much inferior to Abby’s.

However, her aura was far more formidable than Abby’s.

This wasn’t to say that Abby lacked talent. In terms of innate gifts, Abby could be ranked among the top in the world. It’s just that those top-tier powers possessed special methods to awaken their progeny’s talents early.

Compared to them, Abby had started her cultivation much later, making her talent appear somewhat weaker.

Not to mention, Abby was merely born into a relatively wealthy merchant family. The strength and resources she could leverage were nowhere near those of the powerful factions. .𝒎

Becoming strong wasn’t just about talent alone!

As Howard intently observed the girl from Black Tortoise City, she suddenly opened her eyes, deep and star-like, locking gaze with Howard.

Howard didn’t panic. He simply smiled slightly and then averted his gaze, internally surprised at the girl’s keen perception.

“…”

The girl fixed her gaze on Howard, quickly drawing the attention of the two elderly men beside her.

Following her gaze, they glanced at Howard and asked in a low voice, “Miss, is there a problem? Do we need to deal with that fellow?”

“No need.”

The girl shook her head, calmly saying, “I just felt that he seemed familiar. It might be because I’ve been too tired these past few days. Don’t worry about it.”

With that, she closed her eyes again.

She didn’t notice that within her dress, there was also a Shattered Timepiece, faintly glowing, its subtle warmth spreading through her skin.

Within Corinna Maya’s camp, aside from the women of Black Tortoise City, there were no other strong figures or powers that caught Howard’s attention.

With guards on the perimeter, Howard soon fell into a deep sleep.

It was only when faint noises of commotion reached his ears that he opened his eyes.

The sun had risen, gradually dispelling the darkness. Even the number and aura of the skeleton monsters were rapidly diminishing.

Before Howard could even get up, a fierce yet beautiful and complex face appeared before him, startling him so much that his heart began to race.

“So, have you made up your mind?” Corinna Maya smiled. “If you don’t wish to join our camp, then I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.”

Hearing this, Howard came to his senses, responding somewhat irritably, “Thank you for your hospitality, but I prefer to explore the Dark Mausoleum on my own.”

“Heh, suit yourself!”

Corinna Maya smirked. “Just be careful with that frail body of yours.”

“I’ll manage without your concern.”

Howard got up, stretched his body, and seeing that the other awakened were still asleep, he didn’t waste any words and headed straight towards the deeper parts of the Mausoleum.

Meanwhile, in Saint City, Baron Cameron led a team of cavalry, charging out of the city and speeding towards the Dark Mausoleum!

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