In a forest near Dungeon Town, the shadow figure appeared.
She removed her dark disguise.
Beneath the black fabric stood a beautiful young girl.
Her skin was pale and smooth, her hair pure white, and her eyes glowed with a deep orange hue.
She changed into ordinary adventurer clothing, simple and unremarkable, then started walking toward Dungeon Town.
She was an expert at the peak of the Mid-grade late stage, only one step away from High-grade. In a place like Dungeon Town, such strength was rare.
She had a long-standing grudge against the Black Snake Guild. In the past, they had tried to rob her and even attempted to force her to become someone's mistress.
From that day on, hatred had taken root between them.
Killing them now meant nothing to her.
What mattered was the Soul Orb.
She needed a safe place to absorb its mana and break through to the next level.
Her eyes hardened with determination as Dungeon Town slowly came into view, each step bringing her closer.
Meanwhile, inside the Soul Valley Dungeon, the Black Snake Guild sealed the dungeon.
The news spread quickly and threw the area into chaos.
Many adventurers had traveled from distant towns just to explore this dungeon, only to be told it was now closed.
It was outrageous.
"This is completely unreasonable!"
"I came all the way from another town for White Soul Flowers. Now the dungeon is sealed. How am I supposed to explain this to my client?"
"We already have to pay them and hand over most of what we earn, and now they can close the dungeon whenever they want?"
"This is robbery!"
Angry voices rose one after another. Groups of adventurers gathered, complaining loudly and arguing among themselves.
Amid the noise, people began to speculate.
"Why would the Black Snake Guild suddenly seal the dungeon?"
"Did something happen inside?"
"Could it be that an elite monster went out of control?"
No one had answers.
All they knew was that the Soul Valley Dungeon, their greatest chance at fortune, had been shut without warning, and there was nothing they could do about it.
But the Black Snake Guild did not care about the anger of these small fry adventurers.
Inside the guild, things were already in chaos. One of their strongest members had been killed.
"Did you seal the dungeon completely?"
The one who asked was Chief Erik, the person in charge of the Black Snake Guild branch stationed in Dungeon Town.
He was a Mid-grade late-stage expert, and his presence alone carried pressure.
"Yes, Chief Erik," a man in his early forties replied respectfully. "As soon as we received the order, we took action."
Erik's gaze sharpened. "Did the Red Rock Guild say anything?"
"They said they are willing to help with the investigation."
Chief Erik frowned slightly.
So Red Rock wants to help us?
On the surface, the Black Snake Guild and the Red Rock Guild appeared to be on good terms, but in reality, they constantly fought over profit and territory.
They undermined each other whenever they could.
Now they suddenly wanted to cooperate.
Very suspicious.
"Did anyone leave the dungeon after the incident?" Erik asked.
"Yes. Several Mid-grade parties came out. Most of their members were Mid-grade or higher. We detained them for questioning."
"Good," Erik said coldly. "Prepare a team. I will personally enter the dungeon to investigate."
As he spoke, his eyes turned icy.
Whoever dared to kill a Black Snake Guild elite would pay the price.
Chief Erik did not waste any time.
Within half an hour, an investigation team was assembled. Every member was at least Mid-grade, and several were veterans who had survived countless dungeon raids.
With Erik at the front, the dungeon gate was opened once more, and the group entered the Soul Valley Dungeon.
The air inside was cold and heavy, thick with the stench of decay.
Dark mist clung to the ground, and faint whispers echoed through the tunnels.
"Stay alert," Erik said calmly. "Undead monsters react strongly to noise and mana fluctuations."
They advanced steadily through the upper levels. Skeleton warriors and rotting ghouls crawled out from the shadows, drawn by the living aura of the team.
Erik stepped forward and swung his blade.
A sharp flash of light cut through the darkness. The skeleton split in two before it could even raise its weapon.
The rest of the team moved with practiced coordination. Mages chanted low spells while warriors guarded the front and rear.
Fireballs reduced undead to ash, and heavy weapons crushed skulls into fragments. Every movement was clean and efficient, with no wasted effort.
As they went deeper, the number of monsters increased.
A pack of Soul Hounds emerged from the fog, their hollow eyes glowing blue. They charged without hesitation.
"Formation!" Erik shouted.
Shields slammed together. Blades and spells struck at the same time. The narrow passage filled with howls and the sound of shattering bones.
After a short but brutal clash, the Soul Hounds collapsed, their bodies dissolving into gray mist.
Silence returned.
They pressed forward, following traces of broken terrain and dried blood. Signs of battle became clearer with every step.
Cracked stone walls, scorched marks from powerful spells, and shattered weapons littered the ground.
One of the team members swallowed. "Captain… there was a major fight here."
Erik said nothing, but his expression grew darker.
Soon, they reached Bone Valley.
The ground was covered in scattered bones, some ancient, some fresh.
Near the center of the valley lay several broken bodies wearing Black Snake Guild armor.
The team stopped in their tracks.
"Habek's squad…" someone murmured.
Erik walked forward slowly.
Then he saw him.
A body lay a short distance away, its armor almost completely destroyed. The right arm was missing, and deep slashes covered the chest.
The head lay nearby, the eyes still wide open, frozen in shock and resentment.
Even without the life crystal, Erik recognized him instantly.
"Habek," Erik said quietly.
No one spoke.
A Mid-grade late-stage expert, reduced to this.
Erik clenched his fist. The pressure around him dropped sharply as cold killing intent spread through the air.
"This wasn't done by an elite monster," Erik said after a moment.
"Look at the wounds. Clean cuts. Precise. No trace of undead corruption."
One of the mages nodded grimly. "And the Soul Orb is gone."
Erik's eyes narrowed.
"So someone killed Habek after the battle," he said slowly. "They waited until he was exhausted, then wiped out the entire team."
He scanned Bone Valley, his gaze sharp and calculating.
"Search everything. Footprints, mana residue, anything at all. I want to know who dared to touch the Black Snake Guild."
His voice was low, filled with restrained fury.
The Soul Valley Dungeon remained silent.
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Author's Note
If you're enjoying 'Manga Store Owner System' so far, please consider leaving an honest five-star review and adding it to your collection.
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