"What's going on? I thought we were about to start fighting..." Air Conditioner muttered quietly.
"Me too! I even curled my toes!" Apulu Pie agreed.
Sennia also looked puzzled.
Xia Ya waved his hand nonchalantly, not surprised at all.
"Enough with the nonsense, where have you hidden your loot?"
The witch had a treasure chest, filled with things she had accumulated over the years.
Even after 177 cycles, Xia Ya had to muster the courage to ask this question.
Because its location was completely random—depending on Milorakles' mood, with no pattern at all.
Being questioned so urgently by Xia Ya, the witch was immediately displeased. Grateful as she was, she still remembered Xia Ya bringing people to mess with her twice!
"You've angered me, human!"
The witch's soul instantly turned aloof, her face stern, and a massive illusion floated in the air, exuding an overwhelming pressure.
"Stop pretending to be a big bad wolf, aren't you afraid Yveline will hang you up again?" Xia Ya said calmly, "Hurry up, where's your loot so I can send you off quickly."
"How do you know 'that woman'!!!"
Hearing Yveline's name, Milorakles' voice suddenly became shrill, screaming piercingly.
"Did she send you to punish me? Did she? Ah, damn humans..."
Xia Ya said impatiently, "I have nothing to do with her, but if you keep delaying, who knows, maybe I will."
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"Fine, I'll tell you, it's under the Philorin Tree, 300 meters to the east." The witch caved instantly, extremely fearful of Yveline.
"What's the password to dispel the treasure chest snake?"
"You even know about the treasure chest snake!! And you say she didn't send you!!"
Milorakles screamed in anger, her body almost disintegrating.
"I absolutely refuse to cooperate with you! Dream on!"
"Are you sure? If your soul doesn't leave now, Yveline will eventually catch you and put you in another container. Think about the Soul Leech, think about what it's like to be unable to live or die..."
"Stop it! I'll tell you! I'll tell you!" came the venomous voice, "The password is 'Fangs hidden deep, no death, no harm.'"
The password is different again... Xia Ya thought to himself.
This one not only hides the chest in various ways but also never repeats the password. Seems like being confined in the Corrupted Forest has led to these antics.
"Farewell."
Xia Ya cupped his hands and turned to leave.
"Let's go."
Sennia trusted him unconditionally, burying her curiosity deep in her heart, as Xia Ya's character to her was someone with a mysterious past after being rescued and wandering for years.
But Apulu Pie and Air Conditioner were different.
They're all players, so why does he act like he's got cheat codes, while they feel like clueless fools?
Who is Yveline?
What does sending off mean?
What is the treasure?
What's the password?
What is all this!! Is a web game this complicated?
It's only the first day of the server opening! Does it have to be this overwhelming?
After walking a few steps, Apulu Pie couldn't hold back any longer and clung to Xia Ya's arm.
However, before she could steady herself, Sennia gently nudged her aside.
Hey hey hey!?
The female rogue widened her eyes.
"Sorry, I lost my balance."
The gentle wife smiled, stumbled a couple of steps as if she had twisted her ankle, and stood firm again.
But she was closer to Xia Ya, leaving no room for her to squeeze in.
Apulu Pie was shocked!
How could she not see that she was intentionally being kept away...
"I can't believe an NPC is jealous of me!! Can you believe it!!?"
She was incredulous and tried to approach Xia Ya from behind again.
This time, Xia Ya turned around, giving her a helpless smile.
"What is it?"
"Big shot, how do you know all these things? It's not that I don't believe you, but saying you're a reborn player coming back to play the game is more believable than discovering this stuff from the village..."
"Yeah, it's like a long-running game is about to shut down, and a frustrated player crosses over, suddenly having an extraordinary memory, remembering even the bug spot under the third rabbit hole outside the Starter Village from ten years ago. I used to think such stories were nonsense, but now I'm starting to believe it..." Air Conditioner also chimed in.
"Don't overthink it, the information gap is like a snowball, it only gets bigger." Xia Ya smiled.
"Because of some small matters, I increased Sanya's favorability a bit, and with the money you gave me, I hired her to come to the forest. This boss was completely unprepared and got taken down by her in an instant."
"What about the Corrupted Boars? So many beasts..."
"Barbarians are natural hunters, the two of us can perfectly avoid them. I already knew some clues from Auntie Susan, and along the way, I learned about the effects of Bloodmalt Ale... These clues are like puzzle pieces, forming a rough picture. Then I gathered some seemingly useless scraps of information in the village and pieced them together, leading to the current situation."
"What about Yveline, the treasure, and the password..."
"That concerns you." Xia Ya said to Apulu Pie, "Your dagger comes from the Dark Brotherhood, right?"
"Yes..."
"Yveline is the Dark Brotherhood's contact in this village, she's a Dark Elf. Drill Sergeant Doom, who gave you the dagger, was once her student, and he told me about this."
Apulu Pie was stunned.
"Just like that? Why would he tell you..."
"Just like that," Xia Ya spread his hands, "What's the motto of the Dark Brotherhood?"
"Do the job for money, more money, more targets," the female rogue murmured.
"Do you think a normal organization would have such a motto?"
She shook her head.
"Then that's it, it's an illegal organization."
"Then... then what?"
"Our country's law educates us, as lawful citizens, what should we do when we discover an illegal organization?"
" it...?"
"Yes, it." Xia Ya showed a 'teachable' expression, "So just use that as a threat, but be careful not to get caught."
Apulu Pie was speechless.
Though still hard to believe, it actually sounded reasonable...
The only unreasonable part is...
What normal player would a job-changing institution as an illegal organization!!
And you make it sound easy, but for a normal person to do all this, it's insane!
The ability to filter out distractions, synthesize information, find clues, and remain calm in front of terrifying NPCs, not saying a single wrong word...
It's nerve-wracking just to learn a skill from him, and you dare to threaten him!!
Drill Sergeant Doom is scarier than any martial arts coach she's ever met, and the latter has been a special forces soldier who killed people!
Big shot, are you a KGB agent in real life!?
Apulu Pie was filled with curiosity, but rather than believe the "he's a reborn player" theory, she chose to believe the former.
Xia Ya smiled at the two of them.
He didn't mind their wild guesses, as this adventure would soon end, and then they would part ways, giving him more time to stir things up.
The surprises from this single day's experience were more than in hundreds of past cycles, and he looked forward to the future more than ever, instead of being numb as before.
Spending too much time with NPCs, becoming overly familiar with their every move, would become tiresome.
To be blunt, he knew every glance and gesture of Sennia, the adorable wife, like the back of his hand, and it would be the same for the Valkyrie, Dark Elf, and Priestess later on.
But just now, Sennia's jealous reaction towards Apulu Pie was something he had never seen before!
It was a brand new look and action, like a real person!
Xia Ya was instantly touched!
The players' involvement not only changed his trajectory but also affected the NPCs! It might even influence the future direction of the game!
The originally numb heart had a small spark ignited from the moment the Village Chief said "Good luck," and now, due to this speculation, it was slowly flickering and growing.
Xia Ya's long-dormant heart began to stir.
He enjoyed this wonderful feeling, confirming that he was a living person, not a piece of data that had lost its sense of self.
"We're here."
He stopped walking, in front of a Philorin Tree.
Following the witch's instructions, he called out, "Fangs hidden deep, no death, no harm."
As soon as he finished speaking, the soil around the tree roots suddenly bulged, and a black-brown python, the same color as the mud, delivered the chest.
Vol.1 - Chapter 13 – Sennia is Jealous
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