While thinking, Shiki scooped up several Tower Coins—enough to expand her storage space twice. Her old plan to buy out the Starter Pack at Manny the Blacksmith's forge was still in the corner of her mind, but now her priorities had shifted.
The Blood Ember was more important.
She had to reach one percent blood purity as quickly as possible.
"Johan, distribute the rest," Shiki said without looking back. "If your storage isn't enough, leave it with Adnan."
She intentionally named Johan. Not Rose. Giving Rose the responsibility of distributing the rewards would only further exalt her name. Johan, with his large frame and stern face, was a safer choice as an executor. A simple task like this required no cunning.
She didn't even consider Roady. Too close to Rose. If Mujun were here, things would certainly be easier; the man had no ambition and rarely cared for treasure. Unfortunately, Mujun had not joined this raid.
Shiki gripped the Blood Ember, then turned away from the pile of gold. Behind her, Johan did not answer immediately. There was only a brief pause. Brief enough to be considered normal.
"Fine," he said finally, his voice flat.
Several Nagawira moved closer, but their steps were no longer as enthusiastic as before. There was no scrambling. No cheering. Only the sound of coins being moved and weapons being stowed one by one. Someone whispered softly to a comrade. Another stared at the Blood Ember in Shiki's hand a moment longer before looking away.
Rose said nothing. She simply watched the distribution with a calm face, then helped a wounded Nagawira to sit down.
Johan stood before the remaining pile of gold. His hands moved, placing coins and equipment into his storage space. His head was bowed, his hair obscuring part of his eyes. Someone called his name to ask for their share. He nodded without much talk. His hand stopped for a fraction of a second when it touched a shimmering sword amidst the gold, then resumed its movement as usual.
Shiki did not see this. She was already several paces away, her mind filled with calculations regarding the absorption time, the risk of interference, and the next steps once her power increased. She was certain this "fair" distribution was enough to stifle any dissatisfaction. She was certain they were still under her control.
A bright light suddenly flared. The Nagawira shut their eyes. When the light subsided, they were standing on the East Side of the Central Zone, right in front of the Great Rat's Nest dungeon gate. The city wind swept across their faces. Some took long breaths. Others turned toward Shiki.
And among them, Johan stood a bit more silent than usual.
Shiki noticed that the number of gathered Nagawira seemed larger than before, but she could not find Mujun among them. That slacker was apparently still carrying out the task of gathering the other members of the Four Seasons.
Shiki looked at the dungeon gate behind her. The giant hourglass hovering over the portal showed that the dungeon was in a cooldown period. It would take 2-3 hours before it could be entered again. Enough time to absorb the Blood Ember.
She stepped toward the teleportation circle. People automatically made way. Shoulders shifted. Boots shuffled back half a step. Gazes followed her back. Shiki did not notice their expressions. Her mind was busy calculating: travel time, inn security, absorption duration, potential disruptions.
She stepped onto the glowing circle.
"West Zone, Inn Str—"
Stab!
Her sentence cut off abruptly. There was a warm sensation in her thigh. A fraction of a second later, that warmth turned into a sharp, deep pain, as if hot iron were being driven into her flesh. Her body lurched.
She looked down. The tip of a sword had pierced her thigh from behind, the point protruding slightly from the front. Blood seeped, then flowed.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Shiki was stunned, as if her brain had stopped working. The piercing pain in her thigh—where the sword gored her flesh—was merely the background to the confusion enveloping her.
Who? How? Why?
The questions spun wildly in her head, yet she was too terrified to even turn around. The answer to it all was only a neck movement away, but the fear slowly creeping into her heart made her want to believe this was just a nightmare.
Shiki was not stupid. She recognized that voice. However, the questions of "how" and "why" dominated her mind more than "who." How could someone approach her without drawing the attention of the hundreds of other Nagawira around her? With a sword in hand, surely anyone approaching with ill intent would be immediately suspected.
Yet… not one of them had stopped him. How was that possible? Why?
Was it about the dungeon rewards? Impossible. She had handed over almost everything. She had even made sure to take only a few Tower Coins, whose value was pittance compared to the remaining gold pile. it made no sense for someone to be so greedy as to want it all. Besides, wouldn't this act provoke anger and retaliation from the other Nagawira?
Why?
Shiki's thoughts shattered when the sword embedded in her thigh was roughly yanked out. The stinging pain forced a groan from her lips. Fresh blood gushed out, and her wounded leg could no longer support her weight. She fell to her knees, her body trembling while her face turned pale.
With the last of her courage, Shiki finally turned around.
Johan.
One of the first people Shiki had recruited into the Four Seasons. His face was handsome, always radiating a positive aura that made many want to befriend him. His sincere blue eyes reflected a seemingly boundless kindness. Johan was known as a simple man, but Shiki knew he was more than that. Johan always saw the good in everyone, no matter how bad they were.
Johan's cheerful smile was usually a magnet for people to follow him. Nevertheless, Johan was aware he was not smart or strategic enough to be a leader. That was why he had easily accepted Shiki's invitation to join her. Johan knew Shiki was sharper, possessed resources, and had a vision far clearer than his own.
However, Johan's popularity among the Nagawira had become a threat to Shiki. That was why she had intentionally suppressed his fame, placing him in the Spring Division—the division filled with delinquents, tasked with carrying out the darker side of the Four Seasons.