Eleanor had furrowed eyebrows when she saw an average-looking short man looking at her with a mocking smile. "Ronald."

"Ah, it seems like you managed to get some customers. How unfortunate, they would die," Ronald said with a sneer, and Eleanor’s expression darkened.

"Are you threatening us?" Amber said in a displeased voice after hearing those words.

"Threat? No, no. I am just warning you that most of the clients she picked up ended up dead in the Lightning Valley," Ronald said with mock concern.

"Hey, Eleanor, whose child is this? So ugly," Victor suddenly interjected.

"Pfft—" Hearing those words, Eleanor almost choked on her saliva and snorted in laughter.

"You..." Ronald’s face turned red with anger as he glared at Victor. He was the most sensitive about his height, and Victor’s words struck a nerve.

"Hmph, you better watch your back," Ronald said with a vicious look as he snorted and left the place.

"So what was that about?" Amber asked Eleanor.

"Sigh, he is a guide like me, and he is from the Kingdom of Drakol," Eleanor said with an angry look, and Victor raised an eyebrow when he heard the name of the kingdom.

"Drakol? Are there any other members from that kingdom here?" Amber said as she shot a wary look at Ronald while her eyes swept across the other people.

The Kingdom of Drakol was one of the neighboring kingdoms that had a hostile relationship with the Kingdom of Eindrik, and they had fought many wars in the past, nearly causing mutual destruction. In fact, the last King and Queen of Eindrik were killed by the Royal Family of Drakol, and this was also why the current royal family had no suitable heirs, as most were killed in battle.

"Yes, there are, and in fact Ronald belongs to one of the mercenary guilds affiliated with the Drakol Kingdom," Eleanor warned.

"I see," Amber nodded, and then Victor asked, "What did he mean by all your customers died?"

"It’s exactly what he said. During the last few months, many customers whom I took into the Valley ended up being attacked by magical beasts even when we did not provoke them, and as a result my ranking dropped and his ranking jumped to the top. As a result, he was second in ranking just below me," Eleanor said with a frown.

"Do you think he could be involved?" Victor asked.

"I don’t think so, I am 100% sure. It’s too much to be a coincidence, but... I don’t have any proof, and even if I had it, I can’t defeat them," Eleanor said with a sigh.

"I see, interesting. Let’s go," Victor said with a smile.

"You are still going?" Eleanor asked, surprised.

"What, you don’t want us? Then we can find another guide," Amber said.

"Ah, no, no, dear customers, you are the boss," Eleanor said as she rubbed her hands together like a sleazy merchant.

----------

Lightning Valley—a place so perilous it earned the name Gateway to Hell. There were few such forbidden lands on the continent.

Being one of the most dangerous places on the continent, Lightning Valley is a vast expanse of endless hills and towering mountains, shrouded in lightning that strikes the ground every few minutes, and the deeper you go, the more frequent the lightning strikes become.

And yet, despite its peril and the countless lives it claims, Lightning Valley draws thousands of people every year—some to hone their strength, others to pursue the treasures buried within its depths.

"Here, take this stone," Eleanor said as she tossed two purple stones toward Amber and Victor.

"What are these?" Amber asked with a raised eyebrow.

"These are Lightning Resistance Stones. When you keep them with you, even if lightning strikes, it will make you immune to it. But of course, the immunity wears off, and you only get resistance, which also decreases the deeper you go," Eleanor explained.

The lightning, though dangerous, made the valley rich in Lightning Resistance Stones, which are used to resist lightning, and even blacksmiths coveted them for creating lightning-resistant equipment.

"I see." Amber nodded her head, and Victor gave it to Lilith.

"Right, I was meaning to ask you, why did you bring a cat with you? It will turn into fried cat," Eleanor said with a weird look on her face.

"How rude, Miss Lilith is strong," Lilith, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke.

"Fuck, your cat spoke!" Eleanor’s eyes bugged out as she looked at the cat on his shoulders.

"Don’t worry, let’s go," Victor said, ignoring her words. Eleanor narrowed her eyes at the cat and shrugged her shoulders.

Right outside the Lightning Valley entrance, several individuals looked at them.

"Senior Eleanor, long time no see. Are they your clients?" a man said with a smile.

"Yes," Eleanor said as she handed over a ticket.

"Awoooo!"

As they walked a couple of miles in silence without encountering any beasts, they suddenly heard a howl.

A wolf’s howl suddenly echoed through the silent stream, shattering the tranquility that had been there before.

"Mmm?" Victor’s gaze once again swept across his surroundings.

About half a mile ahead, five large wolves abruptly scuttled out from the forest while leaving trails of lightning behind them, chasing after an injured human. The wolves had white fur, ghastly teeth, and pointed claws.

"Tier 1 wolves?" Amber murmured.

"What an idiot. If you are weak, why do you even come to this place? And he did not even hire a guide," Eleanor said with a sneer.

"He must have tried to hunt one of them but ended up facing the entire pack," Victor hypothesized based on the intensity of the chase.

The injured man noticed Victor and his group, and he hurriedly dashed toward them. For him, they were like a beacon of fire amidst darkness and despair. He was sure they should be reasonably strong for them to enter the forest and thus capable enough of hindering the wolves for the time being.

"Help me!" the man shouted loudly. "I have a treasure as compensation!" the man said as he brought out an item from his storage ring.