Chapter 137: The Beginning Of Trust
“I’ve been looking for you. I was just about to ask about your situation.”
“When you jumped from the second floor floor to the first floor, I followed behind and saw you run past several sliding doors and enter a room. I realized something was off, so I didn’t follow.
I was going to turn back to find the real you, but halfway around the corner I encountered a ghoul, so I had to break away from its tracking first, then I found a new clue.”
Yu Jiang adjusted her breathing. The footsteps outside were still there, sometimes far and sometimes near, and they hadn’t found this place yet for the time being.
She was about to reply when another message came from there: “The team splitting up earlier wasn’t something I did on purpose. Do you still believe what I said?”
Yu Jiang: “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?”
She was definitely going to get the Manjusaka.
“There are 4 investigation areas left. Searching them one by one probably won’t make it in time to seize the initiative ahead of other players to get the things. How about splitting up, with each of us responsible for two areas?” Yu Jiang asked.
The other groups of players hadn’t discovered the ghoul’s mechanism yet because they were all waiting for her and Shi Xu to scout.
Yu Jiang wanted to seize the initiative, so she came.
Their information gap was now their biggest advantage. As long as they were fast enough, they could grab the key items before others reacted.
As for clues, it was better if they found some while investigating along the way, but it didn’t matter if the progress wasn’t enough—players couldn’t take clue items anyway.
Yu Jiang wasn’t arranging this just because she wanted the Manjusaka herself; this was the most cost-effective way.
“Okay.” Shi Xu agreed.
“I’ll hand the things over to you. A trustworthy alchemist teammate is more important than lowering the ghoul kill difficulty.”
Yu Jiang sent an ‘ok’ sticker pack,
“I think the same. A reliable high combat power teammate is worth the adventure. To succeed, first go crazy—charge forward regardless!”
Shi Xu: “No need to rush out like that. It’s still outside.”
Yu Jiang sent her position, “Corridor left side, third room. The corner in front of me leads to the backyard, where there’s a door with a password lock. I’m preparing to smash wall.”
The system only warned not to smash doors, but said nothing about not smashing walls. The enclosure walls were also made of wood.
Her original plan was, if she couldn’t contact Shi Xu, to knock on the wall twice, then lure the ghoul and run, dodge its tracking while running and knock again—she’d eventually smash it open.
When she said charge forward, Yu Jiang was serious!
Shi Xu was silent for two seconds: “1202. The clue I found is a date—the day it was abandoned by its family while alive, which is also its birthday. I’m across from you, through the courtyard first room.”
Yu Jiang watched her investigation progress turn to 17%. Team clues could be shared.
The remaining 3% here should be the flowers in the backyard.
“I’m going to try the password now. By the way, there’s a vending machine in the nearby corridor.” Yu Jiang didn’t forget the supplies in the vending machine.
Shi Xu: “Got it. I’ll go get them.”
The two confirmed their next plan and began acting.
Yu Jiang reached out to push open the cabinet door. The muffled and slight sound made her hold her breath and stare, pausing in place for more than ten seconds before continuing.
She half-squatted, carefully feeling her way to the sliding door and looking out through the broken hole.
With the previous experience of hiding in the cabinet when suddenly an eye looked in, this time she first listened to the footsteps for a while to grasp the ghoul’s action pattern.
She seized the gap when the sound was farthest from her, bent at the waist, and quickly left the room, passing through the corridor.
She had to be fast, or she’d be caught red-handed in the corridor.
It was only about ten meters total, but under mental tension, every step felt difficult.
She safely passed through the corridor with no obstructions and leaned against the wall to deeply exhale.
She went to the back door to unlock it. In the darkness, a slender silhouette also stood in front of the vending machine.
The two seemed to make eye contact, then calmly continued with their own things.
The broken wooden door looked like it could be kicked open with one foot, but under the instance mechanics, it had to be opened with the password.
This instance had ghouls everywhere, and it wasn’t a place that followed science and logic.
Click,
Yu Jiang smoothly opened the door lock. In the snowy ground ahead, that striking patch of bright red in the middle—the flower glowing faintly and obviously brighter—was the Manjusaka she was looking for!
Yu Jiang stepped forward quickly and proficiently gathered it.
The system message introduced it like this: [Pretty, right? Want to know how it grew? Dig down and you’ll find out.]
Yu Jiang didn’t hesitate and pulled out the shovel to dig.
She was super brave!
She dug to a skull, and not just one—skulls of local residents killed by the ghoul?
Investigation progress: 20%
At this time, Shi Xu sent over half the supplies. Hearing the footsteps in the house, Yu Jiang retreated to the left side to wait for them.
Less than two minutes later, Shi Xu’s figure appeared, without a flashlight on, so his appearance couldn’t be seen clearly, only the general outline.
Yu Jiang spoke first: “What’s my name?”
Shi Xu looked at her strangely, “Little Drill Wind? You never told me your name either.”
“Then we’re good.”
Yu Jiang relaxed and left the investigation area with them, briefly explaining what happened earlier.
“You pick first, left side or right side?”
She looked at the 4 lit streetlights ahead, two on each side, with each of them going in one direction.
“Either works.” Shi Xu casually pointed to the left side.
The right side was closer to the hot spring motel. Though the motel wasn’t necessarily safe, it was better than the pitch-black outside. She’d go right, and if there was an accident, she could run back.
He had high combat stats and skills that allowed quick movement, so left side was more suitable for him.
“Mm.” Yu Jiang nodded. She understood in her heart why Shi Xu chose the riskier left side.
Time was limited, so the two didn’t say much more. They assigned tasks and headed in opposite directions.
At the same time, the other groups of players also began acting.
No. 8 was still asking in the instance channel: [@No. 1 and No. 2, how’s it going over there? We’ve explored the motel and surroundings but really didn’t find any clues.]
Yu Jiang: [Across from the motel, the house by the streetlight didn’t open during the day but opened at night. There are clue items and monsters inside. We just went in and got chased out! Too scary! We’re still hiding and dare not show our heads. Is anyone coming to help us?]
When the other players saw the help request, they all avoided talking about it and instead wanted to coax a couple more pieces of information out of her. Yu Jiang didn’t reply again.
She had no obligation to tell these possible competitors truly important information.
The first investigation area on the right was also a rundown wooden building, all in similar style, just with different layouts.
With experience from the previous house, dodging the BOSS clone was much simpler. Its attack and movement methods were all the same.
While Yu Jiang squatted behind the door observing the surrounding movement, players No. 3 and No. 4 also entered the second investigation area on the right.
No. 4 swaggered in and fake-sighed, “The monster was lured to the other side by No. 1 and No. 2. Gotta thank them. There’s only one monster in this instance.
Two idiots, still trying to trick others over too. Who would go save them? Best if they keep the monster occupied as long as possible.”
Next chapter’s monster: Guess if I have clones
