CHAPTER 144: CHAPTER 144 - GUILT AND BENEFITS

After another hour, Logan arrived at another evacuated town.

He got out of his current car since it had little fuel left and started walking through the streets in search of a new one.

Passing by a television store like the one from his youth, he came to a halt.

Dozens of screens lit up the shopfront, each playing a different news channel.

But one of them made Logan freeze.

The Mercer Industries logo hovered above a building with a large blackened ruin in the middle of it.

"...no official statement has been released by Mercer Industries following the explosion at their Denver headquarters. Several senior staff remain missing, and the current condition of CEO Logan Mercer is still unknown."

Logan narrowed his eyes.

"Sources within the Mana Enforcement Bureau suspect this was a targeted attack, though investigations are ongoing."

Suddenly, the screen cut to a different feed and started flashing a red ’LIVE’ banner in the corner.

"—And now, breaking news from the C-rank dungeon in Willowshade."

The image shifted to aerial footage, revealing a thin purple mist, blackened roots, dead forests, and a massive scorched tree.

"Viewers are advised that the following footage may be disturbing."

A massive crater came into view. Charred terrain that spread for several miles around the colossal tree.

"What you’re seeing is the aftermath of, no doubt, one of the worst dungeon events in recent American history. Experts estimate thousands dead, and the Mana Enforcement Bureau has yet to identify the cause."

Logan stared at the screen, heart pounding.

"Initial footage confirms what experts are calling a nightmare scenario. Thousands of B-rank Treants were seen swarming the battlefield, and at the center of it all..."

The camera zoomed in, the drone feed focusing on the colossal, half-burned tree.

"That thing," the anchor paused for a moment, "is now being referred to as the Queen of Thorns. An S-rank entity classified as catastrophic-level by the Mana Enforcement Bureau. And it was found inside a C-rank dungeon."

The camera lingered on the corrupted wasteland that went on for miles.

"How a creature of this scale remained undetected is unknown. But questions are already pouring in—how could the Alvarez family let this happen? They were in charge of managing the site, and many are now demanding answers."

One by one, the other televisions also switched over to the Willowshade disaster, temporarily losing interest in the Mercer Industries business.

Logan didn’t have any words.

A pit formed in his stomach. So many innocent lives had been dragged into this... and yet, he knew it was far from over.

Logan turned away from the screen and kept walking.

He wasn’t proud of what he’d done—and he knew he’d never forget it.

But if that was the price to keep Silas and the others safe... and Mercer Industries standing... then so be it.

’I need to turn off my emotions,’ he thought, exhaling sharply.

’The media attention is away from us now, and the Alvarez family is in deep trouble since they are seen as the cause behind this.’

The Alvarez family would need to pay massive fines for letting this kind of threat build inside the dungeon.

On top of that, their reputation was guaranteed to take a massive hit. Whatever trust their suppliers and clients had left would be completely shattered.

After a while, Logan finally found a new car and started driving towards the nearest city with an airport.

The engine started without a problem, and he hit the road.

’I need to contact Edric and Silas to let them know I’m safe,’ he thought, turning on his hologram projector. ’And they also need to make arrangements for me to come back.’

As soon as the hologram projector turned on, Logan’s eyes fell on the countless messages that had come through.

"I’ll need to look at those in the air shuttle," he muttered, quickly pressing on Edric’s call button.

The call connected immediately, Edric’s face popping up inside the car.

"Logan?! Thank god. I was starting to think—"

"I’m fine," Logan cut in, voice low. "How are Silas and the other injured?"

Edric fell silent for a moment, caught off guard by Logan. "Silas is fine, we hired the best healer in the country to get him and all injured personnel fixed."

Logan let out a breath of relief.

"What about the company?" he asked.

Edric hesitated for a moment, glancing to the side. "Initially, everything went bad. Investors tried pulling out, and suppliers seemed hesitant to continue working with us..."

"But just minutes ago, everything started turning in our favor again."

Logan gave a faint smile, relieved the sacrifices hadn’t been for nothing.

"The Queen of Thorns incident is everywhere," Edric continued, excitement in his voice. "Our stock is still shaky, but the people who’d wanted to jump ship are holding off."

Logan remained silent for a moment, glancing out the window as he drove.

"Good," he muttered, before turning to the screen again. "Am I fine to head back to headquarters now?"

"Absolutely," Edric nodded. "Silas is well enough to protect you, and we’ve set up an even more secure room in the center of the building."

Logan gave a small nod, the tension in his body loosening just a little.

"Thanks, Edric. For handling everything."

"Just doing my job," Edric said, but the relief in his expression was obvious.

Logan hesitated for a moment, before his expression turned serious. "Once I’m back, contact every news station and prep a short statement."

Edric’s eyes widened slightly. "But if the assassin—"

"It has to be done," Logan said firmly.

If he wanted to regain full trust from his suppliers and investors, he needed to show everyone that he was still alive.

Edric remained silent for a moment, hesitating.

Finally, he spoke up. "I’ll call Silas and start working on it."

"Thanks," Logan said, tapping the side of the hologram to end the call.

He leaned back in his seat, eyes locked on the road ahead.

Even if the plan had worked... it didn’t make the silence easier to sit with.