Stage Report

"What is this?"

Scarface frowned at the stack of papers in Heka's hands.

"A midterm report. If you don't report in, how will the boss know what you've done?"

Heka handed over the materials clipped inside a notebook, but Scarface waved his hand.

"I can't read. No need to show me."

Since arriving here, Heka had not seen the leader of the Black Mountain Merchants again. The man seemed to have been busy lately.

This was also Heka's first time entering the central main building of the Black Mountain Merchants. It was where several of the organization's leaders lived.

Not only had the first- and second-floor windows been sealed with wooden boards and stone, even the third-floor windows had been reinforced a second time with iron bars.

Two guards wearing half armor stood at the entrance. Heka's gaze lingered for a moment on their towering builds.

His race was Halfling. He had probed for information from the bard at the tavern.

According to the bard, it was a race that, even after reaching adulthood, stood only half as tall as humans, had baby faces, and lived only half as long.

Heka had felt terribly unlucky at the time. After all, a lifespan of only fifty years was hardly good news.

But Heka soon came to terms with it. If he did not improve his living conditions quickly, even making it to fifty would be quite a challenge.

"You've grown taller."

The leader of the Black Mountain Merchants was wearing black hunting clothes. The red lining tucked beneath the outfit clinging to his thick arms made it look like the gaping, blood-filled maw of a monster.

Hearing the footsteps, he slightly raised his head and let his gaze rest on Heka for a moment.

"Yes. I've been eating well lately."

Heka nodded, then followed Scarface to a seat off to the side.

Though it was breakfast, the table was covered entirely in meat. The only vegetables were the leaves laid beneath the still-sizzling roasted meat.

The people of the Black Mountain Merchants did not seem to like discussing business at the dining table.

Seeing Scarface and the Black Mountain Merchants' boss digging in with great gusto, Heka tucked the materials beneath his buttocks, then got up and took a piece of white bread fresh from the oven.

He stuffed several pieces of grease-dripping roasted meat into the bread, which still carried a faint scent of the hearth, then scooped on a little salty, spicy sauce with a wooden spoon. This was the most traditional Black Mountain breakfast.

"The trouble outside has more or less settled down. You can start working the day after tomorrow.

Just tell me what you need."

The leader of the Black Mountain Merchants tore off a small piece of bread, dipped it in the sauce on his hand, rolled it into a ball, and tossed it to the floor.

Soon, rustling sounds came from the darkness beneath the table. The bread ball vanished into the shadows before it even hit the ground.

Heka immediately drew his feet against the chair legs. He had not expected them to be keeping something beneath the table. Who knew whether that thing ate meat?

"Boss, I looked through some records. Seapeak Port's groundwater system is likely flooded by the tides from around March to June. It's already January now.

Although the biggest tides have not arrived yet, some areas have already been submerged by groundwater. Now isn't a good time to enter the sewers."

The man seated at the head of the table swirled the goblet in his hand, and the crimson liquid within slid down the inner wall in layer after layer.

"So when can we open up the route?"

"Right now."

Heka's words made the man's eyes light up.

"But the problem is that while the route to the port I found before can be used, everyone knows its exit.

The issue now isn't how to get there, but how to get there without being discovered.

The reason Seapeak Port's sewer system incorporated the Dungeon was because Seapeak Port itself was a settlement built atop the Dungeon.

If they dug downward, they would inevitably strike the Dungeon.

After appearing, a Dungeon generally went through three stages.

The first was the Fortress Stage. During this period, the Demonic Beasts within the Dungeon would not take the initiative to leave its boundaries.

Next came the Change Stage. As the Dungeon was raided again and again, some of its internal structures would fail.

Parts of the Dungeon's structure would begin to unfold into the world and merge with the local terrain, while Demonic Beasts began moving about the surrounding area.

The final stage was the Fusion Stage. Demonic Beasts could leave the Dungeon to move about freely, even mating with local creatures.

Though there were exceptions, Seapeak Port's Dungeon was a typical example that had gone through all three stages completely.

That was why Seapeak Port, originally built around the entrance during the Fortress Stage, was now entirely built atop the Dungeon.

And during the process of change and fusion, the Dungeon would still produce large numbers of Demonic Beasts. This forced Seapeak Port to seal off most paths leading underground, leaving only a few routes open.

That was how the main sewer entrances of today came to be.

But during the Fusion Stage, the Dungeon would merge deeply with the terrain. This would create some parts close to the surface. For example, places that had once been high points within the Dungeon would generally appear very close to ground level.

If we can find records from the Dungeon's early days, we can narrow down the search area. In the end, we may find one, or even several, natural paths into the sewer system around the port."

Heka stood up with the materials in his arms and laid out his speculation in one breath.

"And I discovered that among the materials Boss Deko brought me, there were records of some relatively sturdy locations within the Dungeon. Those places were also at higher elevations."

Scarface frowned and tapped the tabletop with his knuckles.

"You mean there might still be something there? Don't joke around. That Dungeon has been picked clean by adventurers how many times already? Anything worth taking was taken long ago."

"No. I mean it might be a warehouse belonging to the local Lineages."

"You told him about that?"

The Black Mountain Merchants' boss, seated at the head of the table, lifted his eyelids slightly. Heka felt something cold coil around his ankle. It was probably a snake.

"Maybe he overheard it back in the mess hall. I was chatting with those local thugs then, and he must have heard about it.

The fact that we're looking for the local Lineages' warehouses isn't exactly a secret."

Scarface knew the boss was questioning him. He immediately rose to his feet, lowered his head slightly, and answered.

"Since you know we're searching for the local Lineages' smuggling warehouses, then you should also know that the Blood Sparrow already knows you're here with us.

They've recently threatened to kill our people and demanded that I hand you over. If I don't, they'll interfere with our business.

If you can't prove that you can bring profit, then as a merchant, I can only sell a bad asset for a good price."