Brother?!
He’s finally back!
After longing day and night for so long, this guy… finally…
Bai Xiaozhi couldn’t contain her joy, dropping the book in her hands and rushing over like an arrow.
“Uh…”
Wu Xiaomi awkwardly dodged to the side.
Bai Xiaozhi froze, her attack hitting nothing.
He actually dodged…
After all this time together, it’s the first time he’s avoided her.
Why is he dodging me?
“Sorry, I just came out of the ruins. I might have picked up some alien virus on me,” Wu Xiaomi said awkwardly, “For safety reasons, let’s keep some distance for now…”
“Mm…”
Xiaozhi forced a smile, suppressing the disappointment.
Forget it, as long as he’s back, that’s enough.
She welcomed Wu Xiaomi inside.
Wu Xiaomi looked around with mock admiration: “This house is really nice, big, like a manor… I remember you drew a painting when you were a kid that looked just like the setup of this house.”
“Yeah, dreams do come true.” Bai Xiaozhi smiled. “By the way, where did you run off to? Why didn’t you contact me?”
“Sorry, I’ve been really busy lately,” Wu Xiaomi showed off the “Explorer Association” badge on her chest.
—Of course, it’s fake; as long as you know the shape and material, you can exchange it at will.
“I joined the Explorer Association. Most of my time has been spent exploring the Nerrifa World—from caves to the deep sea, to swamps and wilderness… To quickly map out Nerrifa World and learn local customs, I hardly ever return to the Milk-White Space.”
“Isn’t that… dangerous?”
“Not at all.” Wu Xiaomi casually flicked her hand and whipped out Spell Sequence 81 – Flame Whip toward the window.
Her relaxed expression clearly showed her mastery of the spell sequence.
“If you have the skill, it’s not dangerous. Although sequences between 100 and 81 are basic, most creatures hover between 81 and 100 in strength, so it’s more than enough to handle them.”
“There are always accidents, though. Don’t go—”
“By the way, have you heard of the Chicken-footed Bear? A brown bear with chicken feet that crows like a rooster every morning. And…”
Wu Xiaomi rattled off the strange and exotic things she’d encountered recently.
She almost believed her own stories.
Bai Xiaozhi watched Wu Xiaomi fully immersed in her tales, chin in hand, and unconsciously smiled.
She had been pondering the meaning of life that morning, but this guy seemed to have already found what he was looking for.
She hadn’t realized before just how much he loved adventure.
Still…
Doesn’t he worry about me? He hasn’t left a single message.
“By the way, have you heard of the Sunrise Ritual in the Asklei Mountains? When the sun rises, sunlight sweeps through the forest’s twilight, and a certain bird flies along the light beam. During this flight, they evolve into a stronger species.” Wu Xiaomi enthusiastically made up a story.
Of course, Bai Xiaozhi had never heard of it.
“That day, while waiting for the sunrise, I saw your news… Not bad, not only were you accepted by the Academy but you also formed your own Raider group! If I hadn’t seen those news, I wouldn’t have dared to go exploring.”
So she had been paying attention to me?
Bai Xiaozhi felt relieved.
“Yes, I’m lucky to have arrived in the Ancient Burial District. Also lucky to have met Another Wu Xiaomi… your friend.”
Bai Xiaozhi recounted her recent experiences.
Wu Xiaomi knew exactly what she’d been through but pretended to listen attentively.
He occasionally asked questions to show concern.
“So that man deliberately transferred you, then arrogantly staged a self-kill to impress the monkeys? And you’ve regretted it ever since? That’s so irresponsible!”
When talking about the latest ordeal, Wu Xiaomi’s emotions flared.
—Why was this guy even more agitated than she was?
Wu Xiaomi’s sudden outburst left Bai Xiaozhi a little stunned.
She hurriedly changed the subject.
“By the way, in a few minutes, it’ll be time for the Raider descent in the Manggu District. You’re in Manggu District now too, right? Will you descend with us?”
“Yeah, my countdown is the same as yours.”
“Then be careful, and try to stick with our main group.”
Wu Xiaomi wanted to take her leave.
After all, the less contact, the less chance of unexpected trouble.
But on second thought, running away right after meeting would be too suspicious.
Forget it, let’s do this mission together.
Seven days isn’t that long, right?
Last time’s mission was just half a day; maybe this one will be another freebie.
[Strategy Start]
[The mainline strategy objective this time is to survive at all costs for seven days.]
“…”
Something feels off.
When was the last time a ‘survive’ strategy was issued?
Oh, right, Mirror Night…
“No way?! This is only our second Raider mission in Feisi City, and the difficulty is already at Mirror Night’s level?” Ah Lei wailed.
“Actually, it makes sense. Before this strategy started, we had a full week with no new strategy notifications. The last mission’s difficulty obviously didn’t justify such a long break, so this week…”
This week…
Was meant to let us enjoy our final days.
“Damn, damn, damn.” Ah Lei flung himself back onto the street.
“But who’s the enemy?” Nurse An tried to think hard. “Is it some new kind of monster like Mirror Night? Doesn’t seem like it. The people on the streets are still living normally.”
“Speaking of which, haven’t you noticed the townsfolk’s strange looks when they see us Raiders?”
Hmm?
For some reason, the neutral attitude of Feisi City residents suddenly shifted to avoidance.
They even avoided saying a word to Raiders.
“Case solved.”
Miss Nuo tore a paper off the wall.
[Wanted Order for Raiders]
[Effective immediately, Feisi City will clear out all Raiders. No longer will these thieves and murderers be allowed to stay in Feisi City, disturbing public order.]
[Any Raider found in the city will be arrested and handed over to the Senier Empire – Feis City Court for trial.]
Thieves? Bandits? Murderers?
“Bullshit! Who are they calling thieves?!” Ah Lei snapped angrily.
Lulutina weakly raised her hand.
Well, to be fair, the Resonator and Nameless Thunder Sword were indeed stolen…
That time, they practically robbed the entire Xilin City Museum.
“Then who are the murderers?! Uh, never mind, don’t answer that.”
They’d just assassinated the steward last week.
Though it was a mission, they couldn’t avoid murder charges.
“The steward had ties to Manggu. Regarding the evil spirits’ followers, we have the right to strike first and report later. If it went to trial, the murder charge wouldn’t hold.” Bai Xiaozhi explained.
“So we’re open and aboveboard. No need to hide.” Nurse An said, “Hiding would only make people think we’re guilty, which would damage Raiders’ reputation. As guests, our image is very important.”
If Raiders were really treated as ruthless thieves and murderers, it’d be impossible to get anywhere in Nerrifa later.
Mirror Night succeeded perfectly thanks to the help of Nanailiya and the Harvest villagers.
If the villagers hadn’t allowed Raiders to tear down houses and build high walls, they wouldn’t have survived that night.
So, no avoiding the trial.
An innocent person need not fear accusations. If we’ve done nothing wrong, we should stand tall!
“Idiot, do you really trust this city court? What if they’re bought by Zang Gu? Then you’ll have no way to defend yourselves.” Han Nuo sneered. “I don’t believe it. I won’t hand my life over for judgment. Ark members! Follow me!”
“Hey! You’re deserting again and causing a split?!” Ah Lei glared at him.
“If you want to walk into the trap, go ahead. I’m not playing along. Bye.”
The Ark members quickly changed into civilian clothes, blending into the crowd like local citizens.
“Clearly, that Kang Jie guy overestimated his fate.” Miss Nuo raised an eyebrow. “He died for nothing.”
“You’re not following him?” Nurse An was surprised.
“According to the deal, I’m part of Xinhua now, not the Ark.” Miss Nuo shrugged. “Besides, I want to see how the hyped-up Ancient Burial District will get through this calamity.”
“…”
This was Nurse An’s first time commanding Xinhua.
Kang Jie claimed he was similar to her, but Nurse An couldn’t find any similarities.
Similar in what way?
Even now, facing the expectant gazes of the entire group, the pressure made her legs weak.
How could that guy stay so calm and composed before such a crowd?
So many people waited on his decisions. One mistake, and it’d be total annihilation!
How dared he give orders?!
Breathe—think carefully, imagine what he would do now if he were here.
“Running means guilt. Someone must stay behind to explain.” Nurse An opened her eyes. “But not all. Just a few negotiators.”
So, who would give up resistance and become the negotiators, handing their lives over to Feisi City Court?
Staying behind meant nine chances out of ten to die.
“I’ll stay.”
The first voice came from the youngest among them.
Lulutina shrugged. “I stole the stuff, so I’ll take responsibility and stay to explain.”
“Alright, then count me in too.” Wu Xiaomi said.
“You???” Bai Xiaozhi grabbed Wu Xiaomi’s arm. “What’s it got to do with you?”
“I overheard some things—about the steward’s ties to Zang Gu. Maybe it could be used as evidence.”
“Thank you so much!” Nurse An nodded gratefully at Wu Xiaomi. “You’re not from Ancient Burial District and still willing to help this much.”
“I’ve long heard about Ancient Burial District’s ways. If I didn’t love adventure so much, I’d stay too. Besides, my sister’s here now, and I appreciate all of you taking care of her.”
“Your sister? Xinhua doesn’t really have the ability to take care of her. It’s actually her taking care of us.”
“That’s not so certain~”
The two who stayed were decided.
The others would hide for now and stand by in secret.
Bai Xiaozhi also wanted to stay but was stopped by Wu Xiaomi.
“You stay outside and investigate. If you find out the city court is colluding with Zang Gu, send us a message, and we’ll break out.”
“Breaking out isn’t that simple…”
“With this little Dark Crow’s help, there’s no prison we can’t break out of.”
“How do you know she’s Dark Crow?”
Uh…
Wu Xiaomi was dumbfounded.
Luckily, Nurse An stepped in: “Lulutina is a somewhat famous Dark Crow assassin Raider. Xiaozhi, how do you not know that?”
“Alright then.”
Whew—
Good thing Lulutina liked to brag; her identity as a Dark Crow assassin was out in the open.
After assigning tasks, everyone dispersed.
Thinking about the danger of this mission, Bai Xiaozhi wanted to hug Wu Xiaomi.
But he was dodged again.
That sense of loss surged once more…
What’s wrong with him?
Why is he avoiding me?
“Everyone!” Wu Xiaomi waved, oblivious to the feelings stirred, “See you in seven days!”
Dismissed.
…
Ah Lei’s hiding method was rather unique.
He turned into a pink alley and slipped skillfully through a small door.
“Xiao Zhangyu? Are you there?”
“Xiao Zhangyu?”
No response.
Ah Lei went straight inside.
The room was empty; even the bedding was taken.
Only a note remained on the table.
[Feisi City is doomed! Run!! The farther from the sea, the better!!]
…What does that mean?
Ah Lei pondered for a moment.
A terrifying suspicion suddenly arose…
Wait, could it be…
The mission to survive seven days has another meaning?
The enemy this time isn’t Feisi City Guards or the city court.
The real danger…
Comes from the sea?!