My inventory is full of monster materials.

Chapter 112 'Shadow'

"1 gold coins..."

The raven deacon lowered his head and lowered his eyes, his fingers rubbing together half of the account book as he fell into deep thought.

The ledgers were filled with detailed records of the O'Connor family's dirty dealings over the years, such as bribing members of Congress, smuggling contraband, suppressing dissident nobles, and colluding with foreign powers; every single detail was recorded clearly.

In reality, as a mid-to-high-level member of the Shadow Network, the Raven Butler knew that what was in the ledger was only the tip of the iceberg of the O'Connor family.

But making the ledgers public would be enough to shake the O'Connor family's foundation in Surge City.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but the Raven Butler quickly composed himself and spoke in a calm tone.

"Mr. Wu, we both know that this ledger is ultimately just a record, without any substantial evidence to support it, so it is probably difficult to pose a real threat to the O'Connor family."

Upon hearing this, Mark took a half step forward and sharply retorted.

"No substantial evidence is needed at all! As long as the contents of this ledger are leaked, forces that covet the O'Connor family's status will naturally follow the trail and investigate."

"At that time, every detail in the ledger will be verified one by one."

The raven deacon gently shook his head.

"I admit that the information you provided is indeed top secret, but to sell it for 1 gold coins is still outrageous."

"Do you know that 10,000 gold coins is enough to arm two or three knight squads? I mean, full plate armor, fine warhorses, plus two knight squires for each person, more than enough."

Mark scoffed.

"What does this matter? The head of the O'Connor family is the Speaker of the Council!"

"Do you think he'll resign if this ledger is exposed? The losses will be far more than just 1 gold coins."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mark suddenly felt a pang of unease and became wary.

"Am I just imagining things? I get the feeling you've been protecting the O'Connor family all along. Is ShadowNet owned by the O'Connor family?"

The raven deacon seemed amused by Mark's words, his tone tinged with amusement.

"The O'Connor family did provide some convenience for ShadowNet to establish itself in Surge City, but the resources behind ShadowNet are far greater than those in Surge City."

The raven butler changed the subject and returned to the main topic.

"Back to the intelligence, if you insist on selling this ledger, whether it's a split or a buyout, you won't get 1 gold coins right away."

"How about this: you hand over the ledger to our ShadowNet, and we'll act as intermediaries to have the O'Connor family pay to redeem this evidence."

"This way you can get your payment quickly, and we can also profit from it—a win-win situation."

Mark's eyes narrowed, and he asked warily.

"Why should I trust you? What if you take the ledgers and then hand them over to the O'Connor family? Wouldn't all my work have been for nothing?"

The raven deacon spoke humbly, yet his demeanor was poised and composed.

"If you're not comfortable with that, we can sign a second-level notarized contract."

Mark's eyes were unreadable as he secretly plotted something.

He never believed that a fair contract was foolproof, especially when the other party took the initiative to sign it; there might be some unknown means hidden within.

After a moment's thought, Mark slowly shook his head and refused.

"No need. I accept your proposal to have the O'Connor family pay the ransom to buy the ledger. But I can only hand over half of it now. The other half will only be handed over after the ransom is fully paid."

The raven deacon nodded.

"That makes perfect sense. However, there's one thing I need to remind you: as an intermediary, Yingwang also needs to take a cut, since we also bear considerable risks."

"How many?"

"half."

"what?"

Mark was instantly dumbfounded, staring intently at the Raven Deacon's mask through the eye holes of the white mask.

"Half? Why don't you just rob it?"

The raven deacon explained calmly.

"Mr. Wu, you should know that our Yingwang took a considerable risk to facilitate this deal, so it's normal for us to take half of the commission."

Mark was silent for a moment, then quickly came up with an idea and looked up to speak.

"In that case, let the O'Connor family pay a ransom of 2 gold coins. I will definitely get 1, and the remaining 1 will be your reward."

The raven deacon nodded slightly.

Indeed, the O'Connor family must pay the price for this.

"However, I have another suggestion. We'll charge less, and you'll end up with 15,000 gold coins. Would you like to hear it?"

"What suggestion?"

"Join the movie network."

"6

'

Mark remained calm, a slight smile playing on his lips, and a soft chuckle emanated from behind his mask.

Why did I join the video streaming platform?

"Just because of this."

The raven deacon snapped his fingers lightly, and a dense aura of darkness quickly spread from his body, enveloping the two of them like a tide.

Mark tensed instantly, his mind on high alert, and a faint blue light emanated from his hands beneath his cloak, ready for battle at any moment.

However, the raven deacon did not make a move, but instead spoke with great admiration.

"This surge of magical energy... you truly are a 'magician' through the 'wisdom' pathway."

Immediately afterwards, the raven butler began to patiently win him over again.

"As long as you are willing to abandon the 'wisdom' path and switch to the 'shadow' path to become a 'shadow mage'."

.

"Yingwang can guarantee to provide you with all the resources you need to quickly advance to the second-tier 'Dark Archmage'."

Mark grew increasingly wary.

"The 'Shadow' pathway? I've never heard of it before. Which god controls this pathway?"

Upon hearing this, the raven deacon instantly revealed a fanatical attitude and recounted the story in a devout tone.

"In the ancient war of the gods, the Night Lady Miralla fell, and her divine body gave birth to six Night Children. Her 'Night' split into 'Shadow' and 'Nightmare'."

"

The raven deacon paused for a moment, then continued.

"And now the 'Shadow' pathway is controlled by the Shadow Lord, who is the most powerful of the Night Children and the one with the best chance of inheriting the mantle of the Night Lady and ascending to the throne of God."

"The pathway can actually split?!"

Mark was utterly shocked; this overturned his previous understanding of extraordinary methods.

Seeing this, the raven deacon said matter-of-factly.

"What's so strange about that? Just like the 'Radiance' pathway, do you think only the Goddess of Dawn controls it?"

"In reality, the Goddess of Dawn, the Eternal Sun, and the Hermit of Twilight—these three deities—jointly wield 'Radiance'."

Their authority is the three aspects of the "Radiant Lord."

Mark's mind raced, and he instantly understood the intricacies of the matter.

Both "Darkness" and "Radiance" were incredibly powerful in the past.

However, "Night" later went bankrupt and reorganized, giving rise to "Shadow" and "Nightmare", and the latter two are certainly not in a good situation now.

Mark is an employee of "Wisdom," which is equivalent to a large listed company with a well-established system and stable compensation, but promotion is relatively difficult.

The "Shadow" is currently like a startup company, offering dividends and stock options, but it's extremely risky. It needs to survive until the Shadow Master ascends to the throne of God.

Then everything becomes clear.

Who the hell would go with you to run a startup?

Mark refused without hesitation.

"No need, let's talk about how to pay the ransom."

"I will give you a hidden address. Once you contact the O'Connor family and agree on the ransom, mark that address."

"When I see the mark, I will come to the black market to confirm the ransom and then hand over the other half of the ledger."

After saying that, Mark left his address on the paper at the counter and walked out of the movie theater without looking back.

The raven deacon stood still, staring intently at Mark's departing figure through the eye holes of his raven mask, his gaze unfathomable, until the figure completely disappeared at the entrance of the hall.

A moment later, the raven deacon did not linger any longer, turned around and strode quickly toward the door deep inside the hall.

In the dimly lit hall, a black iron throne was placed in the center. On the throne sat a blurry black figure, surrounded by dense shadow power, making his face impossible to see.

The raven deacon knelt heavily on both knees, his posture extremely respectful, holding the half-ledger in both hands, and reported in a deep voice.

"Lord Shadow Servant, a professional mage codenamed 'Nothing' just delivered a ledger of evidence of the O'Connor family's crimes."

"I have temporarily calmed him down and reached an agreement with him that the O'Connor family would pay 2 gold coins to ransom him. However, he is only willing to pay half of it first, and he will only pay the other half after the ransom arrives."

"Now, I have come to report to you, sir, and ask for your instructions on what to do next."

The dark figure on the throne slowly raised its hand, and a jet-black shadow force extended, instantly devouring the ledger in the raven steward's hand.

Then, in the vast space, only the rustling sound of papers turning could be heard.

The sound stopped after a short while.

Upon seeing this, the raven deacon immediately asked in a low voice.

"Lord Shadow Servant, the O'Connor family is under that person's control. Shouldn't we find a way to eliminate this threat?"

However, a cold and piercing voice came from the throne, without the slightest ripple, yet carrying an undeniable majesty.

"No need. That guy has already joined the 'Abyss' and is no longer one of us. Let's just do what needs to be done with him."

"

The raven deacon was startled and responded with trepidation.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"