Chapter 2545: Show Some Sincerity
Xu Huo said this not only to warn the 001 Zone players but also to tell them that, up to this point, there was still room for negotiation.
The 001 Zone player who had tried to slip away ultimately stayed put, and everyone obediently stood in place.
The Painting Woman irritably slapped the hand off her shoulder and flipped the middle finger at the person beside her.
"Keep talking." Xu Huo turned back to look at the Skinny Monkey. "I'm also very curious about what other secrets they're hiding."
"They tricked you into looking for the exit, but that's not the truth," the Skinny Monkey said. "They're actually trying to use you. This place is a training ground that the Super Players prepared for 001 Zone, mainly to cultivate people who can smoothly take over the Super Instance. But their people are too weak—after all this time, they still haven't figured out the trick..."
"They probably want you to clear the path. Once you help them get the Super Instance, you'll have no more use."
"And what do they do to people who have no value? You can figure that out with your little toe!"
The Skinny Monkey was doing his utmost to sow discord. The 001 Zone players' expressions turned extremely ugly. A dark-skinned man said, "Do you think we're as bottomless as the Holy Sword Society? Turning on allies and assassinating comrades—we wouldn't do that!"
"Then just say it—is this the entrance to the portal space or not!" the Skinny Monkey shot back.
The dark-faced man sneered, "The entrance to the portal space has already been occupied by you. Who knows what tricks you've pulled inside? Without going in, how can we know if this is really the entrance?"
"Sounds like you don't know if it's the entrance, but you definitely know it's a training ground!" the Skinny Monkey said with impunity, convinced that the 001 Zone group was lying through their teeth.
Another older team leader pressed down on the dark-faced man's arm and stepped forward to speak to Xu Huo. "Sir did set up some training grounds in the portal space, but we don't fully know their exact locations. The entrance isn't the only one, as he claims. There should be multiple entrances. It's just that the one we originally used has been completely sealed off. Since the Holy Sword Society can still enter and exit the portal space, we suspect there must be new entrances among the territories they've occupied. That's why we sacrificed so many people to find a path."
"Although Sir left us the instance, it's a Super Instance after all. He couldn't possibly reveal all the information to non-inheritors. Leaving us a path was already his kindness to the younger generation."
"Both sides have their own stories, and I can't tell who's telling the truth," Xu Huo said after listening to both parties. He thought for a moment before continuing, "How about this—you lead the way and take me to this so-called Super Player training ground. I'd also like to see if I have a chance to inherit this instance."
"And while we're at it, we'll wait for your so-called Envoy. Even if I can't get the instance, I can still leave this place."
"As for joining the Holy Sword Society, we'll talk when we get there and meet the person."
The Skinny Monkey's expression shifted several times before he finally said, "It's not that I lack sincerity, but you need to show some sincerity too. What if you're just saying you're considering it but actually helping these 001 Zone people put on an act?"
"How about you kill a few people? That way, I'll have something to report to the Envoy."
Xu Huo's laughter cut him off. "Do you think I'm easy to talk to?"
"Listening to your whole spiel and letting you keep your life is the greatest sincerity I can offer. Now you have two choices: either lead the way obediently, or die."
"So, how about showing some sincerity yourself?"
Though there was a smile on his face, the Skinny Monkey knew Xu Huo wasn't joking. Given the other man's mastery of Spatial Evolution, it would be easy for him to enter and exit this mountain without a guide. He was just playing both sides for now, waiting for the right moment.
After a brief deliberation, the Skinny Monkey nodded. "I can take you there, but these people..."
"These people are here to protect me," Xu Huo said bluntly. "What if the Holy Sword Society turns on me?"
After a pause, he added, "Surely the Holy Sword Society's stronghold can't be overwhelmed by just over twenty people?"
"Impossible!" the Skinny Monkey immediately said. "There are quite a few Gold Disciples here this time. The quality of a Gold Disciple is far beyond what these 001 Zone people can match!"
The Holy Sword Society had long since split in two. The old Holy Sword Society members had long since hidden themselves within the game, changing their identity emblem to a long sword engraved with multiple dials. The new Holy Sword Society was the one more familiar to many districts now—they indiscriminately absorbed members, including many Cannibal Players, and operated without any bottom line. Their emblem was a triangular pattern formed by three swords.
The new Holy Sword Society had strict hierarchical management. Xu Huo had once taken a No-Sword Token from a member he killed. The No-Sword Token was for probationary members, and above that, the number of swords indicated rank. A Three-Sword Gold Disciple was considered a core member of the Holy Sword Society. During the 014 Zone Super Item incident, Three-Sword Gold Disciples had appeared, killing many players according to a list.
Hearing the Skinny Monkey's assurance, Xu Huo's smile deepened. "To encounter a Gold Disciple of the Holy Sword Society here—I'm quite lucky."
The Skinny Monkey had been released. He stretched his limbs and boasted smugly, "Only those with great strength and who have rendered major service to the Holy Sword Society are qualified to become Gold Disciples. If you join the Holy Sword Society and perform well this time, you might even have a chance to become a Gold Disciple!"
Xu Huo had already fallen into step beside him. "What rank are you?"
"Two-Sword Silver Disciple," the Skinny Monkey said.
"An A-level player, and only a Silver Disciple?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.
"Haha!" the Skinny Monkey laughed. "It's not about that. To be honest, the only reason I managed to rise to A-rank was thanks to the Society's support. The Gold Disciples and Envoys are all incredibly powerful. The Society has plenty of ways to level up—potions, instance guides, and items—whatever you want. Those good things you can't even buy on the market, especially evolution potions that are hard for high-level players to find, you can apply for on a regular basis!"
"You're a B-level player too, so you must have noticed that the absorption rate and effectiveness of evolution potions have gotten worse, right?"
Not really.
But Xu Huo went along with it. "Is Super Evolution the same?"
The Skinny Monkey paused and gave him a meaningful look. "That's an internal Society secret."
"But brother, you're already a Super Evolver, and in both Spatial and Mental aspects—talent like that is rare anywhere. Once you join the Society, you'll probably get plenty of good stuff!"
He was spinning a glorious tale, but the 001 Zone players following behind grew more and more uneasy. This fool still hadn't realized that Xu Huo had no interest in the Holy Sword Society at all. From start to finish, he had no intention of joining—he hadn't even considered it!