Chapter 246: Against the Mountain, Facing the Water |
"Brother Sword, you know so much," Brewing Cat cooed, intentionally putting on a cute and innocent act.
I Love a Sword let out a cold snort. "We're in a C-rank Script now, so drop the act. If you don't want to introduce yourself, I'll assume you have no intention of cooperating with me. We can go our separate ways in a moment, and whoever dies shouldn't blame anyone else."
Brewing Cat maintained her smile. "You don't seem to trust us very much, big brother. Were you betrayed by teammates in a previous Script? Is that why you queue solo?"
"You're right. Since you brought it up, I have nothing to hide," I Love a Sword said, pushing up the glasses on his nose. "Someone who invited me to team up intentionally transferred a monster's aggro onto me just so they could clear the stage. But in the end, they died in the Script, while I was the one who survived. At the end of the day, Paradise is just this kind of place. Teammates are temporary. While getting into conflicts with your team usually only lowers the success rate of clearing a Script, it ultimately boils down to whether the other person is useful to you."
"We're just using each other; profits come first. Since fate brought us into the same queue, let me give you a piece of advice: do not assume that emotions or verbal agreements hold any weight in a place like this. The person standing right next to you might be hiding a knife behind their back, ready to stab you." After saying this, I Love a Sword's gaze swept over Bai Mu, Scattered Fireflies, Work Three Rest Four, and Brewing Cat.
His words instantly plunged the team into silence. The atmosphere was a far cry from the harmony Bai Mu had experienced during his first team Script with the Great Northern Wilderness brothers and Yan Yu.
The surrounding environment was primarily to blame for the oppressive mood. The tomb was incredibly gloomy, and the temperature was freezing. The Script's introduction made it abundantly clear that this place was haunted by ghosts and monsters. Everyone felt a chilling breeze on their backs; it was quite unnerving.
Of course, Bai Mu was unaffected by his speech. Brewing Cat and Work Three Rest Four probably did not take his words to heart either. Given how similar their equipment looked, their relationship was likely far more profound than a mere temporary alliance.
"Be that as it may, you didn't just abandon us and leave on your own, did you?" Brewing Cat pointed out. "That shows you still want to work with us."
"As expected of a solo-queue expert, your words are quite philosophical."
Brewing Cat offered a polite compliment. Bai Mu figured she wanted to rope the man in, recognizing from I Love a Sword's outfit that he was a professional at tackling these types of graveyard Scripts.
Her code of conduct was actually quite similar to I Love a Sword's. From the moment they entered the Script, she had been striking up conversations with him. As for the plainly dressed Bai Mu and the frail-looking Scattered Fireflies standing nearby, she had only offered a brief greeting thus far, focusing absolutely no attention on them. "Then I'll introduce myself as well," Brewing Cat said. "As for me, I have a Healer class. I can restore health, but my combat strength isn't very high. However, my self-preservation skills are decent, so at the very least, I won't drag the team down."
"As for my Sister Three-Four, she acts as my bodyguard. She is actually very strong, but she can't make a move unless it's a critical moment. If we encounter a particularly powerful monster, you can safely leave it to Sister Three-Four. However, if there are minor mobs along the way, we'd appreciate it if you could handle them." "A Healer and an assassin, huh..." I Love a Sword nodded, turning his gaze toward Bai Mu and Scattered Fireflies. "What about you two? No need to mention your IDs, we can all see them in the team menu. Just tell us your specialties."
"As for me... I'm pretty good at shooting," Bai Mu said, drawing his Revolver and patting the Flaming Sword at his waist. "Additionally, I know a bit of swordplay." Bai Mu kept Xiao Wei a secret. Since the others were holding things back, he naturally felt no need to reveal all his cards.
"A handgun and a sword?" I Love a Sword frowned. "Do your weapons have any extra attributes?"
"It's just an ordinary Revolver," Bai Mu replied. "As for the sword, it does have a fire attribute, but I have to pull a switch to ignite it, and it only lasts for five minutes."
I Love a Sword curled his lip. He likely thought Bai Mu's handgun and sword would be of little use in a tomb Script, but he refrained from saying so outright. Instead, he asked, "What about the cleric over there? What's your skill level?"
"Um... my profession is a Trainee Mage Apprentice..." Scattered Fireflies glanced at Bai Mu before answering, "I'm quite good at long-range attacks, and I also have a skill to heal others."
"A mage..." I Love a Sword muttered. "Now that we all have a basic understanding of each other, it seems none of you know more about Feng Shui and tomb layouts than I do. You couldn't even recognize an Evil-Warding Beast. So I'll just be straightforward: I don't like taking orders. If you're willing to follow my lead, we can cooperate, but on the condition that I act as the captain. If you don't trust me, then we can go our separate ways."
"Got it, Captain," Brewing Cat said, immediately raising her hand. Beside her, Work Three Rest Four remained as reticent as ever, her vigilant gaze scanning their surroundings. She seemed as taut as a drawn bowstring, ready for combat at a moment's notice.
Scattered Fireflies and Bai Mu exchanged a glance. Bai Mu gave a small nod and declared, "We have no objections either."
This man certainly knew much more than Bai Mu. At the very least, Bai Mu had no idea how to identify a tomb's Evil-Warding Beast, nor did he fully grasp the concepts behind the Eternal Lamps and Mermaid Oil.
Having an expert lead the way was undoubtedly a good thing.
"So, Captain, what should we do now?" Brewing Cat asked.
I Love a Sword first turned around, looking toward a wall near the Evil-Warding Beast. There was a collapsed cavity in the wall, clearly excavated by force. Several of the stacked blue bricks were missing from that specific spot, exposing the soil and jagged rocks beneath.
He stepped closer for a better look. "This must be the tunnel dug out by the grave robbers mentioned in the Script's introduction," he concluded.
"Since it's a royal tomb, it must rest against a 'dragon vein,' meaning there is a specific 'flow' to follow."
"Our current location is likely on the hillside or at the foot of Mount Bagong. This is known as 'using the mountain as a screen.' The exit to the King of Huainan's tomb must 'rest against the mountain and face the water, concealing the wind and gathering energy.' To bypass the traps at the main entrance, these grave robbers must have dug their way in from another direction. We only need to find a place close to a water source; that should be the exit."
"But according to the background setting, don't we also have a mission to investigate the anomaly in the tomb?" Bai Mu interjected.
"That's merely a background setting," I Love a Sword countered. "Besides, if a vicious ghost has appeared in a royal tomb, is that something ordinary people can handle? Even if it is a Side Quest, it will be incredibly perilous. If you're not afraid of death, feel free to look into it. Personally, I just want to find the exit."