2 hours had passed since they found the rift. But there was only one ship anchored in the vicinity.
The captain radioed the other ships from time to time, and no one answered him. They couldn't raid if the entire crew wasn't assembled. Especially if their powerhouses, Morning Star and Sunstrike, were not in position.
While waiting for the other ships, the awakeners took time to rest. The battle against the tritons was quite draining. They needed a break before they could fight again.
Klaus also used this moment to brief his men. Slightly different from the formation in SoHo, he changed some positions and roles.
The front row was filled with fighters and one tank with Akio as the squad leader. Justin led the Caster and Supports in the middle row. And Sylvia and a few fighters were bringing up the rear, guarding their backs against surprise attacks.
And the party leader was Klaus himself.
This time he didn't make Justin the leader, considering Justin's fatal mistake in the previous raid. Klaus had forgiven the guild master but still wasn't sure about him. And Justin accepted Klaus' decision despite the bitterness written on his face.
So, in general, Klaus would command his guild.
That night they waited around the rift. No monster attacked the ship, even though they were very close to the dungeon gate. Whether it was a bad omen or good luck, it was clear that they got enough rest before the raid.
As sunlight rose over the horizon, one ship arrived at the rift.
"Hey look at that!"
It was the ship the Son of Thors was traveling on. The ship looked dilapidated. Its belly had many scratches, a large hole adorned the ship's bow, and the bridge had no roof. And the awakener wasn't much different either. They were battered with bandages and broken armor attached to their bodies.
Anyone could tell that they'd had a rough night.
The other ships came later. Morning Star and their ship arrived at seven. Sunstrike arrived two hours later. While Oathkeeper came last after six other ships.
Among the 10 ships, only the ship Klaus and the Five Pillars guild were on looked fine, while the others were not much different from the ship the Sons of Thor were on.
After all the ships assembled, they took a 6-hour break to rest. Before they raid the dungeon, Vincent Thomsen gathers the party leaders on his ship for a short briefing.
The meeting had already started when Klaus and Justin arrived. They stood in the back row, listening to Vincent speak in front of the crowd. Seeing that man's face made Klaus upset. He still couldn't let go of the fact that Vincent had sabotaged his ship.
However, Klaus remained patient. He was waiting for the right time to pay revenge on him.
"My friends, we have finally arrived at our destination. I see most of you are battered after fighting the monsters that came out of the dungeon. I know you're exhausted, but there's still a battle waiting. We've only reached the starting line!"
Vincent gave a speech to the awakeners to get them ready for battle, like a commander lifting the morale of his men.
Two equally influential leaders, the Guild Master of Oathkeeper and the Guild Master of Sunstrike, stood on the periphery. They both had different reactions to the raid leader's speech. Hugo laughed a few times while Elizabeth crossed her arms.
"That's all I wanted to tell you. Get your men ready. We will enter the dungeon in 10 minutes."
That line ended the long and boring speech. Vincent dispersed the crowd, and the awakeners returned to their respective ships.
As Klaus and Justin left, Vincent called out to them. Normally Klaus would have turned him down, but this time he wanted to talk to the man directly and find out what Vincent had planned for him.
"Gentlemen, could you give me a moment of your time. Klaus and Justin Law, am I right?" Vincent greeted them with friendly words.
Justin squinted as Vincent drew closer. He immediately whispered to Klaus to decline any offer and leave. He smelled bad intentions from the man. However, Klaus seemed to have other plans.
Nobody knew what was on his mind, but he was keen to talk to Vincent.
"What do you need from us, Raid Leader?" Justin sounded defensive as he said so.
Vincent sensed a slight tension. He laughed briefly to ease the tension. "Haha, I just wanted to talk to you. There's nothing wrong with me chatting with the owner of Mors Industries and the Guild Master of Rays of Hope."
"Of course," Klaus replied with a smile. "It's an honor to speak with the number one person in Morning Star."
"Me too. This is the third time we've met." Vincent grinned.
The two stared at each other with hidden intentions behind their smiles.
Vincent sighed. "There are many things I want to talk to you about. Unfortunately, we don't have much time." He hissed through his teeth. "I'd be frank with you, but I'm afraid you'd take offense. How should I say it?"
Quietly, Justin elbowed Klaus and whispered, "We'd better get going, Klaus."
Klaus ignored Justin. His eyes were still staring at the blond man in front of him. "What is it? Just tell me."
"Klaus Lee. I know you're fighting, for the family inheritance against your cousin. I can lend you my hand, make you win the inheritance. How about it?"
Naturally, the smile on Klaus' face vanished.
He was pretty sure that this inheritance contest was a very secret thing. Only the immediate family members knew about it. Even the trustworthy people in LR Enterprise were not aware of this fact. Because if this came out to the public, a crisis would hit the company. Like the stock value plummeting or business partners not renewing deals.
People tend to stay away when a company is facing instability.
Of course, there would be certain people or circles who were able to obtain this information. Klaus wouldn't be surprised if Vincent was one of them. However, the fact that Vincent said it openly in front of Klaus was another thing.
Even if someone is powerful, they still have the ethics not to interfere in people's problems. It is code.
What Vincent did was clearly like spitting Klaus in the face.
"I didn't know you liked putting your hand of other people's kitchens, Mr. Vincent?" Klaus said.
Vincent smirked. This man was starting to show his true colors. "I usually don't. But this time is different. You've shown quite a bit of courage lately. So, I wonder how you'll react."
Like Klaus, Vincent still could not forgive him after he and his guild were humiliated in SoHo and his defeat at the Golden Hammer Expo. Seeing him was enough to make his blood boil.
However, Vincent approached Klaus not only to provoke him.
"I'll be blunt. Work for me! You no longer have to worry about inheritance. With my influence, I will make you sit at the top of LR Enterprise. Your little company will also be safe from the threats of other guilds. Especially from the Five Pillars."
Then, Vincent offered another benefit if Klaus wanted to work under him. He would provide a territory in Queens and give certain connections to government people. He would also make it easier for Mors Industries to obtain a license in New York.
Vincent controlled the people who served in the government. Even the governor is his puppet. It's like New York was already in his hand.
"Your offers are very tempting. But why should I accept them?" Klaus asked.
Vincent opened wide for a moment. Then, a soft laugh escaped his mouth. "Because I just won't stop in New York."
That answer made Klaus understand what kind of person Vincent was. This man was extremely ambitious and greedy. Nothing could satisfy him. He would only stop devouring everything once there was nothing left.
However, Klaus was also similar.
He chuckled. Naturally, Vincent frowned.
"I must admit, Mr. Vincent. You have great vision and purpose. But also just like you. I won't only stop in LR Enterprise."
A second. Vincent darkened his face. "So, you rejected my offer?"
"Yeah. I already have my own plans."
They gave each other a sharp look. The tension between them made Justin swallow under the pressure.
Not long after, Vincent sighed. A smile returned to his face.
"Well, I guess I can't force you."
Klaus smiled too. "Yeah. Sorry to disappoint you."
"Well, please return to your ship. Sorry to take up your valuable time."
While Klaus and Justin returned to their ship, Vincent was still standing there, looking at them with piercing eyes.
And then Hugo and Elizabeth came. They stood next to him.
"Well, looks like you failed," Hugo quipped.
"I told you. That kid is a brat. You should give him a student." Elizabeth muttered.
Hugo chuckled. "Hehe, I don't know what's so special about that kid. To have you guys humiliated like that."
Meanwhile, Vincent was still staring at Klaus and Justin. Hatred was clearly painted on his face.
"Yeah, I'll make sure he's never heard from again after this raid."
