Richard Clark opened a box, pulled out a black uniform, and said with a smile, “These uniforms are made of premium leather and fabric. To match the theme of this mission, we even sewed a Black Dragon emblem on them.”

Ethan picked up a uniform and examined it. 

Indeed, the material was excellent. 

While its defensive power couldn’t compare with chainmail or full-body armor, it was light and flexible. 

Wearing this underneath a layer of light armor could effectively enhance defense without hindering movement.

Although Ethan didn’t quite understand why the Bounty Guild was doing this, it was impolite to refuse a gift. 

If this was a sugar-coated bullet, he could simply eat the sugar and throw the bullet back.

“Then I’ll thank guild leader Green for his kindness,” Ethan nodded and distributed the uniforms to his guild members.

The group’s spirits visibly lifted once they changed into the new uniforms.

“Well then, let’s not delay. We should leave now. I’ll lead the way, just follow me,” Richard Clark announced. 

He discreetly opened a chat channel and sent a private message to the Bounty Guild’s guild leader, Daniel Green.

[Richard Clark: Guild leader, everything’s ready. We made those fools from Wings of Freedom put on the Dragon Church uniforms we seized.]

[Richard Clark: We are on our way now, taking the usual path to Mist Forest.] 

[Daniel Green: You’ve done well this time, Richard. A hefty reward awaits you when I return.]

…

Mist Forest, Riverside Allied Forces Headquarters.

Having read the message from Richard Clark, Daniel Green chuckled coldly and strode towards the Black Rose base.

“Daniel Green, we don’t exactly have any rapport, so what brings you here?” Rose looked at Daniel Green, her voice half mocking, half puzzled.

“I’ve come to see Miss Rose for a pressing matter.” As Daniel spoke, his beady eyes were busy sizing up Rose.

She was a stunningly beautiful woman, radiating a mysterious and enchanting aura. 

Her delicate and charming features were complemented by bright, captivating eyes that seemed to penetrate one’s soul. 

Her long hair was tied into a simple ponytail, sleek and efficient. 

Her fitted black shirt outlined her perfect curves, overlaid with a jacket that adhered closely to her body, highlighting her impressive figure. 

The slim-fitting leather trousers wrapped her straight legs, completed with a pair of tall black boots. 

Her every move exuded wild allure.𝒪𝐯𝔩xt.𝚌𝑶𝓂

What a treat it would be to have such a beauty beneath him…

Daniel Green couldn’t help but indulge in a little fantasy before clearing his throat and continuing, “Miss Rose, do you remember the Dragon Church?”

ƥαṇdαs ηθνε| “Dragon Church?” Rose frowned slightly, racking her memory.

After the siege against the Black Dragon in Riverside, the Bounty Guild and Black Rose had received a joint quest to eradicate the followers of the Dragon Church. 

In this world, there were various strange beliefs. 

In addition to worshipping the gods, many races chose to revere powerful creatures, treating them as totems for their worship.

The Dragon Church was a group of fanatics who worshipped dragons as totems. 

They firmly believed that their devout worship of dragons would one day awaken their dragon bloodline, transforming them into powerful creatures akin to dragons…

The notorious Black Dragon of Riverside, infamous throughout the Sunset Empire, had naturally attracted the attention of these fanatic believers. 

From the start of the siege operation, they defiantly chose to side against Riverside, spreading their faith within the city, working for the Black Dragon…

Lord of Riverside had run out of patience and found an excuse to issue a mission to both guilds to annihilate these Dragon Cult followers. 

The task should have wiped out all Dragon Cult followers in Riverside. 

Why was Daniel Green bringing this up again?

“You’re referring to those madmen who had no fear of death… I do have a vivid memory of them. I certainly wouldn’t want to encounter such lunatics a second time,” Rose responded.

Daniel Green hastily nodded, saying gravely, “Exactly those madmen. I just received intelligence that a group of Dragon Cult followers is headed towards the Mist Forest. It seems their goal is to aid the Black Dragon.”

“And this time, the Dragon Church group isn’t ordinary; there’s likely a B-rank or higher individual among them.”

“Their target is the sector you, the Black Rose, are responsible for. Miss Rose, I presume you wouldn’t want to be caught off guard?”

“Since that Black Dragon was wounded by the Dragon Crossbow, it’s been in hiding. Now we spend our days wiping out monsters, which isn’t a gold mine… In regard to these Dragon Cult followers, our Bounty Guild is willing to ally with Black Rose to exterminate them.”

“The bounty of a B-rank champion, converted into military merit, would amount to a small fortune,” Rose, surveying Daniel Green, instinctively felt that the man was not as benevolent as he appeared. 

But if what he was saying was true… having someone else as a buffer was better than facing the fanatics of Dragon Church on her own. 

The followers who would impulsively drag others into self-destruction left a deep impression on her. 

“I appreciate your assistance, guild leader Green,” Rose gave a slight smile, a short-term alliance formed between them.

A sense of joy filled Daniel Green’s heart as he swiftly pointed at a map on the wall, “According to the intelligence gathered by our Bounty Guild scouts, these folks are traveling this route. If we ambush them in this valley, they won’t know what hit them!”

Under the coordinated organization of the two guild leaders, they quickly mobilized a group of elites and set out to ambush the Dragon Cult followers along their route.

The team laid in wait behind the valley for a long while until the sun was about to set. 

Suddenly, a group of treant warriors dressed in Dragon Cult insignia appeared before their eyes. 

“They’re here,” said a hero who had been waiting for a while, bracing himself for the encounter.

Something about the treant group didn’t sit right with Rose. 

As she was about to question Daniel Green, he drew his longsword without giving her a chance to speak. 

“Kill these Dragon Cult scoundrels!” 

“Follow me, brothers!” he roared, leading his Bounty Guild warriors into the fray. 

The Black Rose warriors, not waiting for Rose’s command, were forced to join the battle.

On the winding forest path, Ethan and the others proceeded cautiously. 

The sunlight shone through the dense foliage, casting colorful shadows and creating a peaceful scene. 

A sudden gust of wind broke the tranquility.

“Kill! Our guild leader said, dead or alive, a head is worth 100 gold coins. Brothers, follow me and kill!” 

A group of warriors clad in black armor swarmed from all directions. 

“Ambush!” Zachary Barnes alerted the squad, and everyone quickly shifted into combat mode.

“Kill!” Richard Clark, who was at the rear of the group, let out a chuckle. 

Pulling out his longsword, he aimed a slash at a treant hero next to him. 

His fellow Bounty Guild warriors also launched their attacks simultaneously. 

Some treant heroes were cut down before they could react.

“Something is off.” 

Ethan slowly unsheathed his sword and charged in front of Richard Clark. 

With a powerful slash, he sent out a wave of sword energy, engulfing Richard Clark and his companions.

“Do you think you can beat us all by yourself?” Richard Clark scoffed, rallied his companions, and charged forward. 

He wielded a large ax and aimed a heavy blow downwards. 

The impact against Ethan’s longsword sparked a flurry of sparks.

In the meantime, a group of men with longswords charged at Ethan. 

“Die!” 

One of the heroes reached Ethan’s side and launched an attack from behind. 

His longsword stabbed into Ethan’s back. 

However, it only pierced Ethan’s clothing, leaving a white mark on his skin. 

“What kind of monster are you?”

Ignoring the outcry, Ethan grasped his sword with both hands and faced Richard Clark head-on. 

With a powerful downward slash, his attack was devoid of any finesse or grace, relying solely on raw strength. 

This single strike had Richard Clark dropping to his knees.

“Hold on… I…” Richard Clark attempted to plea for mercy. 

Ethan’s powerful strike had made him realize the insurmountable gap between them. But Ethan gave him no chance to speak. 

The cold edge of his blade swept across his neck, causing a spray of blood to spurt out.

Ethan looked at Richard Clark’s terrified comrades and without any hesitation, charged at them with his sword.