Chapter 1440: The Agreement
The two couldn't wait to ask Xu Huo what he had gained the moment they saw him. Xu Huo shared part of the truth: first, even if they entered the castle, they couldn't just wander into rooms at will. Once discovered, they risked becoming criminals.
Second, there might be a player inside the castle. However, he didn't explicitly mention the humanoid prop, only hinting that perhaps this player was the one controlling the castle.
"But that doesn't mean we can't find a loophole," Xu Huo said, glancing at their expressions. "One of you keeps watch while the other enters the room. As long as you use a teleportation item to leave before the guards notice, it'll be fine."
Hearing this, the two calmed down instead. If they were to steal in the castle at this moment, the instant they stepped out, their identity would become that of a thief. It would be a one-shot deal—whether they could even return was questionable. And if they became thieves in Gem City, whether they could enter Moon City was also uncertain.
"This instance is way too restrictive." Li Kun couldn't help asking Duan Cheng, "Has any player actually gotten a prop from this instance?"
Duan Cheng's face darkened as he seemed lost in thought. After a moment, he said, "It seems we've all been thinking about this wrong. The key to clearing this instance lies in legality."
Legally obtaining props, legally clearing the instance—because this was a fairy tale world with its own order. Players could only move freely within the instance if they didn't break the rules.
Most players, however, were used to using force. Whether it was obtaining props or information, they always wanted the fastest method—one that didn't require much cost.
Regarding the two tasks of the instance, finding the stolen gem seemed like something players were good at, since it involved legally catching someone based on clues. The second task appeared even more straightforward and simple: they just needed to go to Moon City and steal the borrowed gem.
Of course, that was the initial thought of many players upon entering. But after a day had passed, quite a few hadn't even found a legitimate way to enter the castle.
Most people held tickets to clear the instance. Not many, like Xu Huo and his group, knew in advance that this was a new instance and came specifically for the props. Becoming a criminal naturally meant failing the instance. If they only wanted the props, it would be much simpler—but that path was also blocked by Xu Huo's news that there was a player inside the castle.
Killing all the NPCs was easy, but killing a player who was likely the instance holder inside the castle was not so simple.
"But it's not all bad. At least Old Xu and little sister Yan have a chance." Li Kun patted his chest and said, "If there's anything you need us to help with, just say the word."
Xu Huo smiled. "Just spread the news that the instance holder is a player."
"You don't want other players to interfere with you?" Duan Cheng asked. "Do you have a way to get the props from the castle?"
Props weren't just sitting there waiting to be picked up. You had to confirm their location first. Whether borrowing from the king or trading, you had to know where the props were.
"I have an idea. I can try it." Xu Huo said. "But my suggestion is still to clear the instance first. Not many players know this is a new instance. Once we clear it, we can turn the castle upside down without any consequences."
"Catching the thief is probably going to be very difficult." Duan Cheng also sensed something was off. Over the past two days, players had been catching "thieves" and trying to enter the castle, but not only did the ones doing the catching fail, even the ones being caught didn't get any more information during the identity verification process.
He didn't know if it was true that the word "thief" was written on their faces, but the guards handling the matter could accurately determine at first glance that they weren't thieves. Without a second word, they drove them away, not even caring about the "evidence" provided by the bounty hunters.
Moon City was probably no better.
"We can try the second task," Xu Huo said. "The second task doesn't even require as much time as the first."
"How do we do it?" Li Kun immediately asked.
"We follow the rules of the fairy tale world," Xu Huo explained. "Moon City borrowed the most beautiful gem and has been delaying its return. Gem City must have sent people to demand it back multiple times. We can propose to the king that we take the initiative to go to Moon City and ask for the gem back. As long as he gives us a legitimate identity and promises a reward afterward, as official representatives sent by Gem City, Moon City should receive us."
"And what if someone steals the most beautiful gem and changes their identity, making it impossible to enter Gem City?" Duan Cheng interjected.
"There are four of us. One person can go to steal the gem, while the other three clear the instance and appropriately compensate the one who didn't clear it." Xu Huo paused and added, "Stealing the gem isn't difficult. The key is the information about the most beautiful gem, which can only be obtained through Gem City."
Inside the castle, besides the king, queen, and Lady Liya, no one else had actually seen the real most beautiful gem. Or rather, they thought they had seen it, but they actually hadn't. Yan Jiayu had confirmed this while chatting with the maids. Several maids claimed to have seen it while cleaning, but the colors and shapes of the gems they described didn't match.
"Slap!" Li Kun clapped his hands. "Once we bring back the most beautiful gem and clear the instance, we can then loot... I mean, inspect the castle and grab a couple of props!"
"One of the difficulties of the Gem City instance is that it requires cooperation. Most other players didn't enter together, so they lack a foundation of trust. Even if they cooperate, no one would be willing to give up their clearance qualification." Xu Huo said meaningfully, "But we're different."
Duan Cheng didn't speak. Li Kun looked left and right, then broke into a smile. "Old Xu is right. As long as we can clear the instance, everything can be negotiated."
Xu Huo glanced at the time. "I'll see you out."
Li Kun and Duan Cheng had no reason to stay any longer. Otherwise, it would mean turning against Xu Huo, and everything they had discussed would naturally be void.
"Don't worry, we'll follow the plan. I hope you'll keep your promise too." Duan Cheng reminded him.
"Of course. Since we're teammates, we should trust each other a little more." Xu Huo nodded with a smile.
After watching them leave under the escort of the guards, he returned to the lounge.
Yan Jiayu was squatting on the ground, inflating a blow-up doll. Seeing him come in, she asked, "They didn't want to leave?"
"Probably because they've been lawless in the game for too long. Suddenly having to follow the rules is a bit uncomfortable." Xu Huo said casually.
"What goes around comes around. Everyone will eventually pay for their actions. The more bad things they do, the higher the chance they'll run into bad people." She set the fully inflated doll aside, stood up, patted her legs, and walked to the door. "My good luck has arrived."
There was a knock at the door. A young maid walked in, nervous and excited. Lowering her voice, she said, "I've already placed the items."
"Thank you." Yan Jiayu sincerely handed her a doll. "This is for you."
The young maid showed a shy smile, asked a few more questions about the performance, and then left.
"How pitiful," Yan Jiayu sighed after closing the door. "They have to work at night, so they can't even watch the performance. I promised to put on a show just for them and asked her to help me place the props in different parts of the castle."
(Chapter End)