Chapter 80

After Xu Tiancai and his companions returned to the Alliance with the treasure, the Alliance's strength grew significantly and it entered a period of steady development. However, a new crisis was quietly brewing. In the dark corners of the world, a mysterious force known as the Shadow Forces rose like ghosts. They operated in secret with ruthless methods. Their members all wore black cloaks with their faces hidden in the shadows, leaving their identities and motives completely unknown. At first, the Alliance did not detect the presence of this force until a series of bizarre incidents occurred. People began disappearing in various towns and villages. The scenes left no obvious clues, save for faint traces of dark energy lingering in the air. At the same time, critical trade routes were ambushed by unknown forces. Merchant caravans were looted, and personnel suffered heavy casualties, severely crippling economic circulation. The Alliance dispatched investigation teams, but these teams either returned empty-handed or mysteriously lost contact, as if they had been swallowed by the darkness.