Lucius moved silently through the tightly guarded hallway. He knew he was getting closer to something important.

    As he continued forward, he suddenly recognized a familiar figure in the distance. It was the man who had escaped them earlier.

    The one who had stolen the Red Dragon Blood Essence and unknowingly led them straight to this base.

    He also wasn''t alone. He was being accompanied by two other people. One was a woman, and the other one was a big man with broad shoulders.

    Lucius smirked faintly. He was already planning something. "They must be heading somewhere important. Somewhere worth guarding."

    Without hesitation, he decided to follow them. Thanks to the system''s invisibility hack, he remained completely undetectable even as he moved closer.

    Lucius smirked even more as he followed them. "Wherever they''re going, it''s bound to be something valuable. Maybe even their leader."@@@@

    He continued following them. He also scanned every detail. The guards on the walls, the layout of the hallway, and any potential exits if things went south.

    After a few more turns, they arrived at a huge metal door. It was far larger and more imposing than any Lucius had seen so far.

    Two guards stood at attention on either side. They also held some weapons. The moment they saw the trio, they immediately stepped forward and bowed down.

    One of them then turned to the lever and pulled it down, causing the door to groan loudly as it began to open.

    Lucius smirked. He stayed close behind them. "This must be it—something important enough to require this level of security."

    As soon as they entered, Lucius quickened his pace and slipped through the gap just before the door shut behind them.

    Lucius smirked as he began to scan the surroundings. "Let''s see what secrets you''re hiding."

    ---

    Zerath, Tarron, and Sevrina entered the leader''s room. At the far end of the room, the leader of the group was sitting on a raised platform.

    He was Bryson, the mysterious leader of the mysterious group. As soon as they stepped in, they kneeled before him in unison.

    Zerath was immediately shocked. He couldn''t help but blurt out. "What? It''s there? I just came from Volcaria!"

    Sevrina glanced at Zerath. "I only found out about it today, just before you arrived."

    Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire

    Zerath clenched his fists. "Damn it. That''s going to be really tough. I just stole from them. They''ll be on high alert now."

    Bryson frowned. He was displeased by the complication. He tapped the vial in his hand lightly.

    He was thinking about what he should do now. After a moment of thought, he spoke.

    Bryson looked at them. "For now, forget Volcaria. It''s impossible to steal from them at the moment. Their defenses will be too tight."

    The three elders nodded in unison. They knew what Bryson was true.

    Bryson then continued. "Focus on the Kryndal hub for now. You''ll work together on this mission. I don''t want any mistakes. The longer we delay, the more difficult it will be to secure the material."

    Tarron, Sevrina, and Zerath exchanged brief glances before bowing their heads. "Understood, Leader."

    His expression also darkened further as he added. "And don''t forget to keep an eye out for any other groups that could mess with us."

    He frowned deeply. "It''s not just about the Red Dragon''s inverse scale not being fully recovered."

    He frowned and added. "The destruction of the hub was also their doing. Because of them, our plans have become much harder."

    He also clenched his fists tightly. "All of them... will have to be dealt with eventually."

    Zerath, Tarron, and Sevrina exchanged brief glances before nodding solemnly. They understood what was expected of them. Failure was not an option.

    Bryson turned his back to them. He put the Red Dragon Blood Essence vial in his spatial ring. "Go. Begin your preparations. I want results soon."

    Without hesitation, the three elders bowed deeply and left the room in silence. They were already thinking of some plans.