Chapter 1447: Obtaining the Gem
During the earlier discussion with Yan Jiayu about the instance's time, Xu Huo leaned toward the idea that the time inside the instance roughly matched the outside world, while Yan Jiayu speculated that the "one month ago" mentioned in the game's background wasn't literally a month ago but rather a general reference.
Regardless of which was correct, it was true that someone had discovered the Queen was making puppets and had struck a deal with the King early on—at the very least, the mine genuinely existed.
Some fixed instances in the game occupied specific areas within a district, like Rose Castle, or existed permanently in a real-world location, such as the W37 Base City and Twin Cities instances. This fairy tale instance, however, resembled a random instance, connected via a passage. This didn't mean the instance world didn't exist; rather, it existed in a separate space that didn't seem to connect with the district space when opened.
Random instances couldn't be left before completion, nor could one explore beyond the instance boundaries. It was unclear if this fairy tale instance operated the same way. The background only mentioned Moon City, but based on information circulating among merchants, this instance was far larger than just two cities. The mine was real... Normally, the location of this instance should also be a district, though it was uncertain whether it was a numbered one.
Xu Huo felt like visiting Moon City.
Stepping out from the shadows, he approached the small courtyard and gently knocked on the gate.
The house fell silent first, then came a cautious, hurried movement. Xu Huo patiently waited outside as the old lady came to respond.
The old lady cracked the door open and whispered, "Leave. I don't have any extra food."
In the fairy tale world, it was common for travelers to beg for food at night.
Xu Huo smiled. "Please tell Eli that I have news about his father."
The old lady's expression shifted. She warily closed the door, but soon heard the person outside add, "Or I could share this news with the guards and the outsiders."
A faint rustling came from inside the room, and then a dozen households along the street opened their windows and doors, staring at Xu Huo's location in the darkness.
"I mean no harm," Xu Huo said. "You should be able to tell whether I'm lying or deceiving."
After a moment, the old lady reopened the door and invited him in.
Xu Huo calmly entered the house. Before the door was even shut, several Gem City residents wielding kitchen knives surrounded him. He raised his hands to signal everyone to calm down.
"How did you find this place?" Wan En demanded in a low voice. "Even the guards couldn't find it!"
The reason the guards hadn't found it was that they were ordinary people like the Gem City residents, unable to sense if someone was hiding inside a house. The craftsman's skill made the hidden gemstone doors hard to spot—unless you knew exactly where to look.
Players had a broader detection range, but the basement was a blind spot. As long as those hiding didn't foolishly come out to wander around, players would have a hard time finding them without entering the house.
This entire block had lookouts. The old lady and Wan En were very cautious—the former wouldn't even buy extra food, while the latter kept watch over anyone actively inquiring about the craftsmen. So far, they hadn't been discovered.
Of course, this was also related to the players being distracted by the news from the castle.
If he hadn't triggered a side quest, Xu Huo wouldn't have noticed this place either. Following standard procedure, he would have first checked the gem merchants who came from outside, then those who had entered the castle within the past month. Both groups were sizable, making the task laborious.
But he was lucky. He had gained an advantage from the side quest and gotten ahead of other players.
"I found many puppets in the castle," Xu Huo cut straight to the point. "If you're willing to hand over that black gem to me, I can help you find someone."
The old lady and Wan En clearly didn't believe him, but still asked, "Without the King's summons, you can't even get through the gate. How can you help us?"
Xu Huo tapped the ground with his foot. "Since I've found you, Eli and Eshan can't escape. Don't waste time stalling."
This statement made everyone's expression change. A few residents with knives gritted their teeth and swung at him.
Killing was against the law, but as long as the body was well hidden, no one would find out!
Unfortunately, before they could reach their target, they were stopped by an invisible wall a meter away. Wan En and the old lady were also stuck in place, unable to move forward or backward.
"If we delay any longer, other outsiders might come. Let's settle this quickly." Xu Huo opened the hidden door on the floor and jumped down.
Beside the basement were several other hidden doors, apparently dug toward other houses underground, though they weren't yet connected. When he knocked, Eli and Eshan were about to hide inside, so he had to block them in the basement early.
The black gem Eli had in his pocket flew through the air into Xu Huo's hand. He held it up for a closer look—it was indeed the same black ore the Queen used to make puppets.
"Puppet man!" Eli shouted angrily at Xu Huo. "Did you kill my father?"
"I've only been in Gem City for two or three days. Don't pin that on me," Xu Huo said. "You should know about the wanted posters outside. I'm just like those bounty hunters—trying to earn some extra cash."
He paused, then added, "You've heard from Wan En about the criminal outsiders, haven't you? Why would you think I'm a puppet man?"
"You're here to catch us, so just take us to the King and be done with it! Why say so much!" Eli's eyes were full of hostility.
"Because the puppet man can also grab things from a distance like me?" Xu Huo stared at his face, then said, "That must be it. But there are many ways to grab things from a distance. Does the puppet man use tools, like thin threads or something else in his hand?"
Eli snorted coldly and turned his head away, refusing to cooperate.
Xu Huo looked at Eshan.
Eshan flinched and quickly said, "I-I-I don't know... I've only heard that the puppet man can not only grab things and people like you but also kill!"
"Shut up!" Eli yelled at him.
A Spatial Super Evolver? Xu Huo frowned slightly, but the description didn't quite fit.
"What does your father look like?"
The two brothers were stunned. Eshan exclaimed in surprise, "You're willing to help us find him?"
Under Eli's suspicious gaze, Xu Huo said, "I only need this gem. I can look for your father while I'm in the castle, but I can't guarantee I'll bring him out."
After a second, he added, "You have a choice: I take the gem to the castle, or I tie you both up and take you to the castle. I think the King would be much happier to see you."
(Chapter End)