Chapter 572: What Bad Intentions Could a Paper-Playing Man Have
The Paper Servant Master stood with his feet submerged in water, as fungal "corpses" continuously drifted past him. Though his eyes were not visible, one could still sense his gaze briefly lingering on these "corpses."
"You mourn this woman—did you have feelings for her?" he asked.
"No, I only knew her for a day. She was a respectable woman," Xu Huo replied.
The Paper Servant Master made no comment, then shifted the topic. "The prop you used is very similar to that of a member of the Eerie Sound Knights. His prop is called Life Core. I wonder if yours shares the same name."
The effect of the "Life Core" prop was too unique. If its previous holder had some renown, the prop would be remembered by more people. To be cautious, Xu Huo had changed his face before using it, never expecting to encounter a Super Player in an E-level Instance venue.
"Are you the Paper Servant Master?" he said. "Do you have ties to the Eerie Sound Knights?"
The Paper Servant Master denied it. "I don't think much of the Eerie Sound Knights and their ilk—just a bunch of desperadoes."
Xu Huo's gaze paused slightly as the other man turned sideways to look at the fungal "corpses" continuously surging from underground. "Within a day, these fungi will pollute the entire city. But the Underground Nest is a mix of fungi—it can disrupt the balance, yet also maintain it."
"This is the symbol of death and opportunity walking side by side. I call it fate."
"Fate in the game is not an empty rhetoric. It is the imperceptible attraction between objects that humans cannot detect."
"The same goes for people?" Xu Huo said.
"The same goes for people," the Paper Servant Master replied. "Before coming here, I visited Block Fairy Tale City."
"Though that place was leveled by the Box Carrier, a new city has been rebuilt, and Old Lady Bai is still alive."
The Paper Servant Master turned back to face Xu Huo as several white papers fluttered out from behind him, slowly circling him.
With only a dozen meters between them, Xu Huo's nerves were taut. He had already understood the Paper Servant Master's implication—it was about the "Angel's Fangs" that Old Lady Bai had given him!
"Did you kill her?"
Old Lady Bai had said there were sixteen "Angel's Fangs" in total, each an independent space. But their exact locations were not necessarily known even to the prop holder. Combined with the earlier rumors about the Paper Servant Master obtaining the "Field Battle Angel," as he himself said, fate draws things together. The only connection between them was that "Angel's Fangs"! His visit to Block Fairy Tale City was proof enough!
There was no need to play dumb. The Paper Servant Master had followed him here, so he must have his own judgment.
The Paper Servant Master seemed to chuckle. "Do you know about the Field Battle Angel?"
"I've heard of it."
"The Field Battle Angel is not the invincible Super prop the rumors make it out to be. Its true value lies in its ability to see through fate." The Paper Servant Master casually pulled a flying paper and folded it. "Once, it disappeared because of fate. Now, it reappears because of fate as well."
The white paper turned into a paper airplane, flying from his hand toward Xu Huo. "A gift for you."
Xu Huo glanced at it but didn't reach out, letting the paper airplane circle around him.
"You mean you found me because of the Super prop Field Battle Angel? Why?"
"I don't know, but there must be a reason I came here." The Paper Servant Master paused, then added, "Take it. It's not an attack prop, nor will it track you."
What Xu Huo really wanted to know was how the Paper Servant Master had pinpointed him in the vast wormhole, but the other man didn't seem to be lying.
Just as he took hold of the paper airplane, the other man spat out two words: "For now."
Xu Huo's hand froze immediately, because he also received a game notification:
[Cross-Zone Letter: A B-grade prop crafted by the Paper Servant Master that can release positioning information at a wormhole point, suitable for calling for help in danger. However, the Paper Servant Master also uses it to track people he dislikes.]
Expressionlessly pocketing the paper airplane, Xu Huo asked again, "The Field Battle Angel you obtained—is it incomplete?"
"Of course it's incomplete," the Paper Servant Master said. "The Field Battle Angel was scattered long ago. What the Field Clan disclosed was merely a relatively concentrated remnant site."
At this, his tone carried a hint of delight. "But I got the core part—the part that can see through fate."
Xu Huo pondered for a moment. "So no matter which wormhole point you're at, you can follow 'fate' to find the remnants of the Field Battle Angel?"
The implication was clear. The "Angel's Fangs" were part of the "Field Battle Angel," though the former was also a standalone prop. Could it be that the "Field Battle Angel" was composed of different props?
"Props can be used in combination?" Risking a deep conversation with the Paper Servant Master, Xu Huo asked directly.
"Quick on the uptake," the Paper Servant Master said. "But not just any prop can do that. The Field Battle Angel is special."
Xu Huo began to worry about another matter. "Could other players who obtained the remnant prop also be drawn by this 'fate'?"
If so, he would have no choice but to keep moving between different game zones from now on.
"I don't know." The Paper Servant Master stroked his chin, then added, "But even if they are, they should gravitate toward me."
"Though I don't know the specifics yet, I believe this guidance must have a very important reason." He emphasized, "If anyone holding a Field Battle Angel prop does find you, you can come to me for help—but only when I'm in E27."
"Don't look for me recently, though. I have some business to attend to."
Xu Huo couldn't yet guess his motives, but it was at least partly due to the "Field Battle Angel." Since this Super prop was scattered, it was only natural for Super Players vying for it to want to reassemble it.
"I have a question," Xu Huo said, looking at the Paper Servant Master. "Is this so-called guidance of fate really that important?"
The Paper Servant Master could have killed him, but from his tone, it seemed he hadn't even touched Old Lady Bai.
The Paper Servant Master seemed to see through his thoughts. "Killing too many people gets boring. Besides, fate is not a single line—it's a tree. Cut off its branches, and it will still grow new ones."
"This is a pastime as enjoyable as paper folding."
Xu Huo could tell he was genuinely pleased. Recalling the few Super Players he had encountered, it seemed only Lawrence Li was somewhat normal—at least he was striving in a direction that an ordinary person could empathize with.
"Also," a breeze blew aside some of the Paper Servant Master's hair, revealing a gray eye as cold as stone, "only by yielding to fate can one glimpse the turning point before the end."
(Chapter End)