Chapter 1754: You Better Believe It
“Is there something you need?” The woman turned to look at Xu Huo, a hint of warning in her eyes.
“Nothing much,” Xu Huo said, patting her shoulder twice again. “It’s fate that we meet. I’d like to invite you and your friends to a meal.”
The woman’s eyes went blank for a moment, but she quickly regained her clarity. When she looked at Xu Huo again, her gaze was filled with wariness. “Little brother, I was just joking. Besides, it’s only a piece of pink amber.”
“You came knocking, so naturally I have to play the host.” Xu Huo’s hand still didn’t leave her shoulder. Instead, his gaze wandered across different spots in the mall, accurately pinpointing the locations of several of her companions.
There was no way she could leave now. Unable to exit the Instance or use long-distance Teleportation Items, the woman had no choice but to accept her fate. However, she didn’t call her companions over; instead, she signaled for them to leave.
In the blink of an eye, the few of them disappeared into the crowd, spreading out to surround them from a distance.
Almost nothing happening within a kilometer of Xu Huo could escape his eyes, so he naturally knew they hadn’t gone far. He didn’t mind that only the woman stayed and took her to a barbecue restaurant in the mall, simultaneously signaling the three guides that they could leave.
Although the guide was thick-skinned, he understood that players weren’t to be trifled with. Without a second word, he dragged the other two away.
Inside the specialty barbecue restaurant, fresh animal meat sizzled on the grill. Xu Huo sat across from the woman, flipping the meat as he asked, “Can you handle spicy food?”
The woman looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then leaned forward, resting on the table, her eyes starting to sparkle again.
Xu Huo lifted his eyelids and glanced at her. “Do you still want to eat properly?”
The woman immediately dropped her seductive demeanor, picked up her utensils, and began to eat.
Neither of them said much during the meal. After finishing peacefully and taking a break, Xu Huo finally asked, “What Instance are you from?”
The woman hesitated slightly before answering, “I’m from ‘Ember Maiden’.”
“You’re not all from the same Instance?” Xu Huo was a bit surprised.
“Mutual aid to clear,” the woman said. “There are many Outer Zone Players from District 019, and a lot of people do this. Everyone first tries to tackle their own Instance. If there’s truly no way to clear it, they cooperate with players from other Instances. Time is split evenly—you help me, I help you—and you don’t have to worry about players from the same Instance harming each other.”
“If you think you can threaten the others by holding me hostage, you’re wrong.” She flicked her hair. “We’re all here to do Instances. If one ally dies, you just find the next one.”
“You’re not afraid of death,” Xu Huo said with a smile.
“Even if I don’t say it, don’t you already know?” The woman straightened her expression. “Go on, what exactly do you want?”
“To clear the Instance,” Xu Huo said. “I happen to be from ‘Ember Maiden’ as well. I came here to confirm something. If you’re willing to help, you can team up with me, and I’ll take you along when I clear it.”
The woman stared at him seriously for a few seconds, then suddenly burst out laughing. “Do you think I believe that?”
Xu Huo pushed the dishes in front of him aside. “You better believe it.”
The woman snorted with laughter and was about to say something when she noticed all the blood vessels on her arm had turned black and bulging. Startled, she quickly injected herself with an Antidote. The Antidote worked fast, and the black veins that had been spreading visibly receded somewhat. But within just a few seconds, they grew back rapidly.
Under the astonished gazes of the surrounding customers, the woman injected herself with several doses of Antidote, but none completely eliminated the toxin. Finally, she had no choice but to glare hatefully at Xu Huo. “What’s your game?”
“This is a new type of toxic fungus I found,” Xu Huo said. “It reproduces quickly inside the human body. Antidotes have some effect, but if it’s not the right one, it will grow back. You can try them one by one—you might find the right Antidote.”
“You’re despicable!” the woman hissed angrily. “Threatening someone like this—what kind of man are you? If you’ve got guts, fight me fair and square!”
Xu Huo leaned back in his chair, watching her leisurely, until she couldn’t ignore the spreading toxin on her arm and picked up the Antidote again.
“This toxic fungus won’t hinder your movements in the short term. Once you’ve done what I ask, I’ll naturally give you the Antidote,” Xu Huo said after a moment.
“How can I trust you? What if you burn the bridge after crossing it?” the woman said indignantly.
“You better believe it,” Xu Huo repeated.
The woman hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded, grinding her teeth as she said, “Teaming up to clear the Instance is out of the question—I don’t trust you. I can do things for you, but you have to promise to give me the Antidote.”
“No problem. What I want you to do isn’t difficult.” Xu Huo turned to look out the window. “See that observation tower over there?”
From their position, they could see the upper half of the observation tower. It was a large building, considered a landmark of Ember City, about five hundred meters from the mall.
“Find a way to lure everyone over there,” Xu Huo said.
“Lure everyone over?” The woman frowned. “You mean everyone? What are you planning? Dig up the square?”
“You don’t need to know what I’m doing. Just handle this one thing. Try to stall for as much time as possible, and you can’t leave during that time.” Xu Huo casually included her companions in the plan.
The woman studied him for a long time. “If your target is the square, I advise you to forget it. There are robots everywhere. Once the alarm is triggered, nearby players will rush over immediately. You don’t think Ember City has been selling amber for so many years without cultivating a few Advanced Players, do you?”
Xu Huo ignored her probing, stood up, and as he left, set the time. “Tonight at one o’clock.”
The woman was helpless. Seeing that the black veins had already reached her shoulder, she had to inject another dose of Antidote. But the human body could only tolerate so much Antidote. After failing to find the right one, she had no choice but to give up and contact her companions again.
After leaving the mall, Xu Huo went to the mining area for a stroll, showing his face and mingling with other players who had come to the mine area looking for the “Ember Maiden.”
Now that the amber mines had been fully exploited, they were repurposed as tourist attractions. The tunnels were packed with people, including parents bringing their children to mine and paint. “Outstanding works” were displayed inside the mine tunnels, and many young girls dressed in local costumes played the role of “Ember Maiden,” creating a very lively scene.
Not a single player could walk out of that atmosphere with a smile.
There was already enough real information, and with so many people spontaneously creating false leads, where were they supposed to find the painting?
Xu Huo took a casual lap around the mine and then left. Outside, more merchants had arrived. He stopped in front of a stall that was making amber on-site. (End of Chapter)