"Shit," Jason cursed under his breath when Alex brought out something he wasn''t supposed to know. "I forgot about the system he carried."

Jason''s mind spun quickly to come up with a solution, yet he knew the more time that passed, the more glaring it was.

"Does it matter? You needed help and we answered. Shouldn''t that be enough?" he tried to convince him by reminding him of his situation.

[My parents taught me to never go with strangers...]

Jason smiled despite himself as it was a lesson they had all learned at one point in their lives. But in Alex''s situation, could he afford to do that?

"I understand your hesitation, Alexander," Jason''s voice was steady, almost reassuring. "But there''s no need to worry. Your aura alone speaks volumes—you''ve become incredibly powerful, strong enough to take any of us down if it came to that."

If appealing to Alex''s desire to leave this desolate place didn''t work, Jason planned to strike at his pride in his newfound strength.

[What do you want?]

''Hm, he''s a tough cookie.'' Jason mused before replying with a generic answer like what most pirates would do.

"Your ability to survive in the veiled space intrigues us and as a pirate band, we were hoping you could reward us with some goodies for helping you."

No response came for a while and Jason knew Alex was considering his proposition—in a way, he was telling the truth.

It was almost impossible to have a serial ID within the empire''s network. Attempting to do so would only lead to unforeseen investigations that could lead back to them.

Also, ships registered had to be brought in for inspection and they couldn''t have that. There were many independent forces out there like that.

[And you want resources in exchange for helping me...]

Alex snapped out of his inspection and focused on the beings taking strides to reach him. And the one-horned man in front caught his attention and right away he could tell he was Jason.

''That man is strong...'' Alex could tell, despite barely feeling the subtle aura around him. The best he could tell was that the man was a Class A, a very strong one.

"Finally, I meet the great Alexander," Jason smiled with a stretched-out hand at James who took it with a nod.

"Thank you for having me. I''ll make sure you get the price for your efforts," he reassured, prompting the men to flash wide grins.

"Of course. This way..." Jason stepped aside and gestured for Alex to step forward before walking side by side with him, guiding him to an assigned room. Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

His entourage dispersed shortly after Alex and Jason arrived at the entrance to the chamber.

"Allow me," Jason stepped forward and Alex gave him space. And during the entire time he was walking with them, Alex never let his guard down.

''So far, nothing out of the ordinary, and they appear to be what they say they are. Still, should not let my guard down,'' Alex mused to himself while watching Jason get to work.

Even with the strength he had, he was still ways from what a Class S awakened could do. While he hadn''t fought a Class A hunter yet, he was sure he would win. After all, he took down a Class A void creature.

Jason slid the door open, stepping aside to let Alex pass. "Thanks," Alex said as he walked in. But just as his head moved past Jason''s, a sharp sting hit his neck.

"Ah! What the—" Alex winced, instinctively reaching for the spot. There was no blood, no visible mark, but it felt like something had been injected.

[Fuck! Alex, it''s a sedative—designed to knock out high-tier hunters—running through your veins!] The realization hit too late.

"You bastard—" Alex tried to curse, but his words cut off as his legs buckled. His vision blurred, and he collapsed face-first onto the floor with a loud thud.

As his consciousness faded, he barely caught Jason''s murmured words. "Nothing personal, Alex. Just business."