"Not that long…"
Zhang Yingluo's voice was a little off-tune. She had a stunned look on her face.
The usually gentle and adorable junior school brother actually had such a terrifying side to him?
Could it be that he had only been pretending? Was he really like what Qin Lele had said - a pervert?
But even if he was one, he was still a very handsome pervert.
Zhang Yingluo felt incomparably conflicted in her heart.
Qin Lele soon regained her senses. "So this is the wanted criminal?"
Xu Nan nodded. He jogged to the creek's side and used the water to wash his face. After that, he had a serious look on his face as he spoke.
"If I say I was using him to practice my recovery spell's proficiency, would you all believe me?"
Qin Lele thought about it. "I heard my cousin saying that you are a bard. Would a bard know healing spells?"
Xu Nan nodded. "Bards are a support class, so it's a must for us to know some healing."
Zhang Yingluo muttered, "Practice is practice, but there's no need...for it to be...so weird, right?"
Xu Nan was slowly getting used to lying with a straight face. "I'm afraid that he might die, but I'm also afraid my recovery spell would cure him. Hence, I could only heal him while stabbing him."
"I have to guard him, if not, what if he runs away or dies?"
Zhang Yingluo felt it was somewhat logical when she thought about it. She checked Wu Ke's condition. He was in a state of near-death, and it was really very easy for him to die straight away.
However, if Xu Nan really cured him. Given his weak physique, he wouldn't be a match for this baldy.
What he had said earlier could barely make sense. It was just that the scene they had seen was too shocking.
Qin Lele directly came over. She pulled out her own fruit knife and compared it to the knife in the baldy's stomach.
"Xu Nan, do you think our weapons are a couple?"
Zhang Yingluo glared at her as she pouted.
After some simple exchange of words, the three of them finally shifted their attention once again to the almost-dead baldy, Wu Ke.
With regards to his disappearance earlier, Xu Nan had thought about it. He would simply say that he couldn't sleep and decided to go for a walk, but he got lost. In the end, he also didn't know how he arrived here, and discovering the baldy was just a coincidence.
As for him ignoring his phone, it was very normal that there would be no mobile signal in such places. Although such an explanation had flaws, Zhang Yingluo clearly didn't have the intention to keep probing about this. Qin Lele was also simple-minded like always.
They came here mainly for the baldy.
"Mr. Wu Ke, right?"
Zhang Yingluo calmly walked forward, pulling the baldy from the creek to the ground. Wu Ke, who had been stabbed multiple times by Xu Nan, felt like he already had nothing left to live for. He could only cast a weak glance at Zhang Yingluo when she called his name.
Zhang Yingluo frowned. "He is now in a state of heavy injuries. Even if his life value goes up, he wouldn't be able to move. So, you actually don't have to worry so much."
After speaking, she lifted her hand and performed a recovery spell!
Templar knights could cast simple recovery spells too.
Xu Nan instantly felt as though he couldn't breathe.
There were still 30 seconds left on his mission card, but Wu Ke's life value once again rose away from the near-death state, pulled up by Zhang Yingluo's recovery spell.
Xu Nan couldn't accept this!
His mind spun. He then lunged forward with the speed of lightning and pulled out his fruit knife that was still embedded in the baldy's stomach.
When he was pulling it out, he ruthlessly twisted it with force, almost opening up a huge bloody hole.
Wu Ke was in so much pain that he was perspiring in cold sweat. He cried in pain, "Big brother, big brother, just let me die in peace!"
Xu Nan used a paper towel to wipe the fruit knife. Under Zhang Yingluo's strange gaze, he neatly kept the knife away.
"Senior sister, go ahead and interrogate him. I was afraid that he might take this knife and use it as a weapon," Xu Nan calmly spoke.
Zhang Yingluo stared at the bloody cavity in the baldy's stomach and couldn't help but ask, "You really wanted to kill him, right?"
Xu Nan guiltily shook his head and retreated.
And at this moment, the hard-to-bear time finally passed. Some text flashed across his mission card--
[Bloodline awakening optional mission completed!]
[Obtained 5 shameless points!]
[Obtain job specialty - insta-cast!]
Xu Nan glanced at his mission card in delight. Zhang Yingluo couldn't bear to look anymore and signaled for Qin Lele to wrap the baldy's wounds up.
...
Insta-cast was a specialty all spellcasters yearned for even in their dreams.
After unlocking this specialty, one could ignore chanting speed and motions needed during spellcasting. It would greatly increase a spellcaster's combat strength.
After Xu Nan succeeded in getting it, he attentively researched and discovered that before he could insta-cast spells, there were some conditions he had to meet.
[Job specialty - insta-cast 1]: Spells that are 2 levels lower than the character's level can be cast instantly. Spells that are 1 level lower than the character's level will have their casting speed improved by 50%. Spells on the same level as the character will have their casting speed improved by 30%.
Xu Nan felt a little disappointed, but he soon became satisfied.
In other words, he could cast level-0 spells instantly now. For level-1 spells, his casting speed would improve by 50%, and for level-2 spells, his casting speed would improve by 30%.
Although it wasn't as terrifying as insta-cast, it was already very powerful. From the looks of things, this specialty wasn't simply linked with his character level. It was also possible to upgrade it.
Compared to this powerful specialty, which allowed him to insta-cast spells, the 5 shameless points were merely icing on the cake.
On the other side, Zhang Yingluo's interrogation of Wu Ke had started.
Evidently, Zhang Yingluo knew something. She came to look for the baldy because she had other purposes.
"Tell me where's the location!"
She calmly met the eyes of the baldy.
Wu Ke flipped around with difficulty. His face was pale to the extreme. "If you want to find that gate, I can tell you. But you have to promise me one thing."
Zhang Yingluo was very composed. "I can give you an easy death. You should know that you can't leave here alive."
Wu Ke's voice was filled with agitation. "I already bought the entry ticket. If you let me enter, after I become a true expert, I will definitely heavily reward you!"
Zhang Yingluo coldly smiled. "Do you think I will go against the people from the government? Why don't I simply send you to the riverbend where they are waiting now?
"Quickly tell me the location, and I can give you an easy death. If not…"
Her eyeballs spun, and she pointed to Xu Nan. "If not, I will hand you over to him!"
Xu Nan felt a little puzzled. Was this even a threat? He was so civilized, how could anyone feel a threat from him?
As she expected, the baldy was frightened badly.
"I'll speak! I will tell you anything, just let me die in peace!"
Zhang Yingluo smiled gladly. "Sure."
"Follow the little creek. When there's a fork in the road, turn left until you see the camphor tree. You will reach the place after passing three junctions."
Wu Ke rapidly spoke, "That's what they said using a secret language of the dark web."
Xu Nan was completely clueless as he listened.
Zhang Yingluo muttered, "How would I know if you are lying to me?"
Wu Ke sighed. "I'm already about to die. You can believe my words or not for all I care.
"In any case, don't let that guy stab me with his knife again. He isn't someone proficient with using knives; he doesn't pay attention to his stabbing angles and it's extremely painful."
Xu Nan blushed with shame.
"Alright, I'll believe you once."
Zhang Yingluo stood up. She signaled for Qin Lele to tie the baldy to a tree.
The baldy raged, "Didn't you say you would give me an easy death?"
Zhang Yingluo clapped her hands and said, "What do you mean by giving you an easy death? You are not dead yet. We are all ordinary students and we don't kill.
"We already reported this to the police before we came. There will soon be people coming to bring you to jail."
"If your life is hardy, you might even last long enough for an ambulance to come."
After speaking, she signaled for the two of them to leave.
At this moment, a steady and determined voice rang out, "If you follow his directions, there might be danger."
From the forest, a rustling noise buzzed. The three of them stared in the direction of the noise with wariness, shining their phone's flashlight over.
"It's me."
A familiar face appeared. It was senior Ah`Kun.
The expression of the baldy Wu Ke became a little gloomy.
Zhang Yingluo was somewhat shocked. "You are also a job-holder?"
Ah`Kun bitterly smiled. "I'm temporarily not one, but I can understand what they are doing from the dark web and felt some interest in it."
"Earlier, from listening to your conversation, he completely twisted the secret language's meaning."
"Although that mage who 'opened' that gate isn't very powerful, if you walk in the direction he told you guys, there would definitely be a problem."
Zhang Yingluo's expression turned somewhat unsightly, and Qin Lele angrily aimed a kick at the baldy's stomach. The baldy almost died straight away.
Only Xu Nan alone had no idea what was going on. He finally couldn't help but jump up as he spammed questions.
"Can I trouble someone to explain to me? Where am I? Where are we going? What are we going to do?"
Zhang Yingluo seemed to be contemplating, and she didn't say anything. The one explaining to him was Ah`Kun instead.
"So…"
"There's a self-proclaimed job-holder, a mage, on the dark web. At a location near the riverbend, he opened up an unstable teleportation gate, which could send people into the Puluo World that's fusing with Earth in the future.
"This self-proclaimed mage is selling slots to enter his teleportation gate for a very high price. In addition, only job-holders can purchase the entry tickets."
According to what Ah`Kun said, other than Wu Ke, there were still three more people in H City that purchased the entry tickets. At this moment, they should be rushing over to that unstable teleportation gate.
"It's impossible for that Zhao Wen to be a powerful mage. After all, the descent of Puluo World isn't evident yet. At most, he can only be considered a mage apprentice."
Ah` Kun analyzed, "There should be some extremely powerful tool that aids him in opening the teleportation gate. What we can confirm is that the three other buyers should be job-holders too."
"Vice president, are you really heading there?"
Zhang Yingluo's eyes were filled with battle intent. "I wish to fight against a real job-holder!"
Ah`Kun stared strangely at Qin Lele and Xu Nan. "But the two of them are also job-holders, right?"
Zhang Yingluo calmly replied, "Lele is too weak, a thief that's lousy even in thieving. She's basically not my opponent. As for junior school brother Xu Nan...he is just a support. I cannot bully him."
Xu Nan, "??"
Ah`Kun patted Xu Nan on his shoulder. "Bard? Or are you a priest?"
Xu Nan forcefully squeezed out a smile. "Is there a difference?"
Ah`Kun contemplated a little. "Bards seem to be more useless."
"Vice president, if you really want to go there, count me in. Although I'm not a job-holder, my strength is great enough. I might be able to provide help."
"As for junior school brother Xu Nan."
"Just hide behind me and set your mind at ease, acting as support."
...