For several days in a row, it was all bad news. The front line had collapsed. More and more deserters returned, bringing with them news of an impending beast tide. The snow kept falling, and the weather grew colder; every day, frozen corpses were found around the outskirts of the market. The price of food had soared again. However, it was hard to say whether this was good news or bad news; after all, some people were making a fortune from the situation. Potions, Demonized Items... the prices of all kinds of supplies were rising. The Cape family and other merchants in the market, who possessed abundant resources, seized the opportunity to reap exorbitant profits. This only increased the people’s dissatisfaction. In just a few days, several riots had broken out in the outer areas, with killings for food and revenge killings occurring almost openly. "It’s getting more and more chaotic!" Carl emerged from the blacksmith’s shop, a bundle of broadswords slung over his back. He glanced back, shaking his head helplessly. The blacksmith’s business had never been so good. As he passed Bodor Restaurant, Carl subconsciously stopped and looked up at the noisy second floor. Hodgson was celebrating the opening of his ’new store,’ with many people from the Black Swamp coming to congratulate him. Carl, however, was not among those invited. Back at the shop, a man wrapped tightly in a black cloak was inspecting the shelves. The man’s voice was hoarse, as if squeezed from his throat, "Do you buy herbs here?" Buy herbs? Trish frowned, subconsciously looking at Carl. Herb shops generally do not buy herbs, since they have partners, but it’s a different story if the herbs are rare. "What kind of herbs?" Carl removed his cloak and set it aside, asking casually. "Can you make the decision?" The man fell silent for a moment, then took out a small package from beneath his cloak. Unwrapping it revealed several flowers inside. The petals were a fiery red, vivid as flames. Though they had withered, they still firmly captured one’s gaze. "Flame Flowers!" Carl exclaimed in surprise. "Fine items. If you are willing to sell, I can purchase each one for the price of one Magic Stone." "One Magic Stone?" The man sounded displeased. "Don’t think I don’t know the market rate. These flowers sell for three Magic Stones each in the shops." "These are items that even Official Wizards desire!" "Your Flame Flowers aren’t in good condition; they won’t fetch a high price. Besides, we’re buying, so we certainly can’t use the retail price as a basis," Carl said, spreading his hands. "If you think my offer here is too low, feel free to check with other shops." "..." The man fell silent, then pushed the package forward. "Five Magic Stones." Carl took out five Magic Stones and handed them over. "If you have any more of these magical herbs, bring them in, and I will buy them at a suitable price." "We’ll see." The man collected the Magic Stones and turned to leave. "Mr. Karl," Jie came over and asked in a low voice, "Should we follow him?" "Flame Flowers grow in very special environments. They tend to appear in groups—dozens or even hundreds at a time. He may still have more on him." "Why follow him?" Carl laughed and shook his head. "We are businessmen. We should just conduct our business honestly. There’s no need to concern ourselves with where others get their goods." "It seems someone has already set their sights on him." Flame Flowers are very rare Magic Materials, usually found near volcanic craters or underground magma, in places where Star Realm Energy is incredibly dense. That is to say, the man from before most likely knew of a special location, which was far more important than a few Flame Flowers. The man in the black robe must have visited other shops before coming here, so he was already being secretly watched. Shaking his head, Carl turned and walked towards his lounge chair. "How’s the residential area doing?" "It’s chaotic!" Jie had been responsible for gathering information about the surroundings these past few days. Upon hearing this, his brow furrowed, worry clouding his eyes: "The weather is getting colder, food is getting more expensive, and it’s becoming more dangerous outside. Some people have started to sell their sons and daughters for food." "Most of the buyers are the rich people from the market. A six-year-old girl can fetch five to seven Magic Stones." "Resentment towards the market’s wealthy is growing among the residents. Many people are secretly cursing them." "Resentment!" Carl sighed. "Most of the time, it’s just verbal complaints, but sometimes it can be deadly." "Never mind!" He shook his head lightly. "We’ll just conduct our business honestly, live our lives quietly, and as long as it doesn’t reach us, there’s no problem..." Carl sat up straight and sniffed the air. "Do you smell something strange?" The source of thɪs content is 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚑𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚑𝙣𝙚𝙩 "A strange smell?" Jie took a deep breath and shook his head. "No!" "It’s a sort of... a smell of decay, of corruption." Carl’s brows knitted tightly as he looked up towards the sky. "It seems to be coming from above." "I don’t smell it." Jie still shook his head, then turned and asked, "Trish, do you or the others smell something strange?" The others in the shop all shook their heads. "..." Carl stood motionless for a moment, then suddenly swung his arm. An invisible, mighty force instantly shattered the shop’s roof with a bang. Debris and sawdust flew everywhere. But no one present cared about the vanished roof. Instead, they stared dumbfounded at the sky. Before their eyes, a mass of dark clouds was rapidly approaching the market. Trish’s body trembled, her voice like the final, desperate wail of a dying patient. Carl’s expression turned grave. "The Corruption Dragon!" The Legendary Knight’s gaze spanned more than ten miles, bringing the winged, Western-style dragon into view.