The smell of tantalizing meat flowed into the sluggish senses of Xin Yue's nose. She unconsciously sniffed at the air filled with the aroma of cooked meat and smoke before opening her eyes in confusion.
Am I back home?
Mom, are you frying me chicken?
The sight of her unfocused sight locked onto a fire built ten steps away. Then onto the two skewered fishes basking in the heat of flaming embers beside it.
Its seductive figure gradually takes on a brown hue causing the corners of its skin to curl outwards. Revealing the delectable white of the flesh underneath.
This inviting scent of firewood paired with the view of sizzling meat awakens the black hole in the young lady's empty stomach. A loud rumbling resound in the cave crackling with the sound of burning twigs as it captures the attention of the creature resting on the side.
"Ah, haha…" Xin Yue laughs in embarrassment.
Raising its triangular head the huge serpent slithered towards her direction in a languid manner. Biting onto the stick of the skewered fish it gently placed the cooked meat on top of the leaves used yesterday to package fruits.
"Is this for me…?!" The young woman asked with an overwhelmed expression. Staring deeply into those large yellow pupils, her reflection of bewilderment shown within those beady irises told one truth. That, what she came to see was an expression of goodwill from the creature's stoic face.
"...Thank you." Taking a careful bite, the fresh taste of natural ingredients filled her bright eyes with wonder, "so good!" The meat is tender and bursting with the smoky taste of firewood while bringing along a slight tinge of salt. The expected fishiness usually presented in seafood has become nonexistent probably due to the aromatic smoke. Each bite spreads the aroma of cooked meat inside her cavity, bearing bounds of joy to her somber mood.
This might just be the best meal enjoyed by her from the first day she arrived at this terrible place.
To think this happiness is given to her not by humans, but by a creature she'd only met yesterday.
"Thank you very much…" The young lady murmured under her breath, almond eyes redden with unshed tears.
"... …"
Blinking its beady irises the slitted portion of the snake's eyes enlarges for a moment before regaining normality. Not sure if it understood the meaning of her words or not but the serpent patted the ground a few times with its tail.
Quite similar to when a dog wags its tail before laying back down on the spot around the nest.
"Hm?"
Unsure if it is just her imagination but the color of the massive eggs seems even more dull compared to last night. Not that she remembered very well from the dimness of the lighting.
A few moments later after the meal.
"Ahem!" Clearing her voice Xin Yue put on her best smile before addressing the resident of this cave. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Xin Yue."
"... …" The owner of the cave blinked its eyes in silence.
"...It's like this, I appreciate your generosity for giving me shelter and food. But I have another request if I may."
"... …" The snake sent out its forked tongue to lick the air.
"...Have you seen an exit around here somewhere? Perhaps a green sign with a human figure running with the words, 'Exit,' written on it?" The young lady gestures in the air while her two fingers trace a square.
"... …" The serpent opened its large mouth to show its fangs in an action akin to yawning.
"...Hahaha… you don't know either?" An awkward atmosphere only felt by her descended from above. Two pairs of eyes stare at each other in wordless battle(?), one pair small and one pair large.
A minute or two passed before Xin Yue moved her sight away in utter defeat. Blinking furiously on the side while thinking to herself how stupid it is for her to have a staring contest against a snake.
However,
A sudden raspy but passive voice rang out in the cavern filled with curiosity, "child, why have you come here?"
Startled by the unforeseen addition of this voice, the young lady jumped up from the ground. Frightened pupils shook in tune to her trembling tone, "wh, who's there!"
Grabbing the remains of the stick used to skewer meat, Xin Yue brandished the wand ahead. Glaring at the darkness in direction of the entrance of the cave, her voice rang out even louder in fake bravado. "Who dares to enter this cave so thoughtlessly!?"
Silence…
"I- I'm warning you, you better run while you can! The weapon I'm using is not a normal stick. It has absorbed the essence of the moon for thousands of years and has reached its bottleneck for a breakthrough! If you don't want to become the next skewer for my sacred sword. Then begone, foul demon!!"
"... …"
The pose is cool, expression on point, voice is loud enough to intimidate.
If only she remembered to remove the fish bones off the body of her "sacred sword," it would have looked better.
The serpent: "... …"
Another moment of silence…
Rolling her eyes while trying to listen to any sound of movement, the young woman gave a victorious clench of her hands. Unable to hear that strange voice again Xin Yue for sure thought the enemy was frightened away by her.
"I won!"
"... …" Witnessing how the young human is now pacing around akin to a proud rooster puffing up its feathers. Indescribable emotion flashes by the face of the intelligent creature. It's really hard to describe because, "I don't know what to say…"
"?!" Xin Yue turned rapidly towards the direction of the voice to see the serpent staring at her with unexplainable emotions. "You?! You can talk!" The young lady saw how wise the creature is and did assume that it's able to understand her. But never in her dreams did she imagine it to be able to talk!
The snake: "...could there be something wrong with her head?" The reptile muttered under its breath.
"Ah?" Blanking out from the sudden shock, Xin Yue answered in a dull voice.
The serpent: "... …" Really doesn't look too astute…
"Are you also seduced by the potential wealth and power of the devils? Or is it something else?" The owner of the cave began to speak once again as if the scene just now did not happen. Listening carefully, a tinge of fatigue and anticipation could be detected in that aged voice.
Wealth and power?
"No, no!" Awakening from the initial scare, the young lady denied fervently, "you might not believe me but I was forced into this place. Mysterious powers or whatever, I actually have no interest in."
'No interest?' The owner of the cave pondered at that earnest reply before asking anew, "then, what do you desire?"
Desire? Xin Yue fell into a state of confusion. There is so much she still hasn't figured out yet. Just trying hard not to get noticed by bandits took all her attention yesterday. So much that there wasn't enough time for her to think about her situation right now. But she still has not forgotten her initial goal.
"I want to go home." Raising her head to stare right into those awaiting eyes. The flames in those pupils alight with a strong determination of wanting to complete a goal. Like a torch wavering but remaining ablaze under the battering of high winds. Her steady gaze seems to touch an unknown part of the snake's soul. A flash of light flitted past those emotionless pupils for a second like the passing of a meteor.
"I see…." the creature answered carefully. "You certainly are different from the others."
_____
"There seems to be another set of footprints that came through here aside from us. Judging from the depth of the indentation it should be a woman around Xiao Mei's height and weight, maybe even less." Seven surmised from the markings on the ground. Through his keen level of observation, he could tell that the prints were only from a few hours ago and had not been disturbed. Seeing the steady steps varying with some deeper than others, it is surmised that whomever going through this path was searching for something.
Searching for…. food? Only the vegetation around berry and nut bushes has been hastily rummaged through. Who could they be? A person or group that is affiliated with the bandits or with other players?
"Either way, everyone must be careful in case there are traps ahead."
The group of five entered the unexplored area of the forest early in the morning. At first, they were just treading cautiously for any signs of danger that could jump at them from whichever angle.
Their worries are not unnecessary as the area around the place truly is eerily quiet compared to the other parts of the woods. It was as though they passed through some kind of invisible boundary that separated them from the rest of the woodlands.
From the moment they stepped in, the chirping of birds, insects, and rustling of larger animals ceased instantly. The jungle seems to be shivering with abate breath, fearing that even a slight rustle will anger the creature living within.
It was only after much careful observation did Seven notice a pair of unusual prints displayed on the surface of the ground. There are multiple trails that point in three different directions but are presumed to be from the same person.
One led to a few bushes flourishing with countless berries and fruits of many sizes while another guided towards the edge of a calm river. "Look!" Xiao Mei pointed at a tree yards away from the bank. "Aren't those fruits sold in the system interface?!
Round and shining with a golden glow these precious fruits can permanently raise a person's physical endurance by one. An almost priceless item that can help determine a player's ranking amongst others.
"One of these fruits in the system store cost around two thousand points!" One completed mission only has a minimum of a hundred points with a maximum of a few hundred depending on performance. Sometimes a hidden quest might help with the numbers but only if you're able to complete the difficult requirements.
All in all, this fruit is only a luxury people like her can only gaze upon with envy.
That was until it showed up in front of her.
Fingers itching to pick them right away, the young woman dashed for the steal!
However, right as she was about to rush off an abrupt hand from behind hooked onto the back collar of her shirt. The forward rush of her legs along the backwards pull of her shirt almost choked her to death. "Ack!"
The silent Cipher pulled Xiao Mei back with a satirical expression of watching a clown jumping about.
"Hey!" Displeased, Xiao Mei was about to smack that hand away when Seven threw a small rock over at the trunk of the tree.
Instantly tens of silver snakes slithered out from the depths of that area to circle around the roots of the space. Numerous yellow beady pupils blinked in their direction as thin forked tongues taste the air.
"?!!"
Surprised and disgusted by the sight, Xiao Mei retreated backwards immediately behind Xiao Fanyu. Poking her head out from behind his broad back, shaky fingers pointed at those crawling creatures, "so creepy…"
"They seem to be guarding the fruits on the tree, as long as you don't approach them they wouldn't attack." Zhitao pondered while staring at the tree, "the tracks lead to this place and stop at the river edge. Tracing the prints with his eyes, he continued, " one set entering the water then another set leaving. That person then proceeds in that direction." Following deeper into the woods, they come upon even more rare items listed in the system's store as merchandise that can only be bought by points over thousands.
The group's eyes couldn't help but start turning green with greed but each precious material is guarded by those same snakes. It must be said that the points they currently have earned from each completed mission in total is only a mere four-hundred and twenty points. A petty number considering the amount of risks they've gone through.
Being able to clear four levels is not enough, the amount of points earned are always carefully calculated before being used with tears in their eyes. That's why seeing all these free treasures lying around is enough to strike at their hearts.
In the end, the taut string known as 'reason,' was unable to resist the pull of these gleaming valuables. Xiao Mei rushed forward with a hand outstretched toward one of the shimmering fruits, "It's mine!"
Sensing the approachment of an enemy, the indolent snakes slithering around the red fruit immediately became alert. Raising their triangular heads at the dashing figure, tens of snakes propelled themselves into the air with alarming agility. Under the glint of the sun, silver scales sparkled with a distracting light as they all pierce through the air in one direction.
"Be careful!"
Seeing the danger of this situation, Seven instantly stepped forward. Taking out two glock 17's from the pistol holders situated behind him the dark body of this weapon seems to ooze with a menacing glow. Putting away the careless expression he always seems to carry, droopy eyes turn sharp as they lock onto the flying objects. Without hesitation, shocking sounds of bursting fire rang in the air as numerous silver snakes were repelled backwards with each accurate aim.
"Nice old man!"
Not losing to Seven's momentum, Xiao Mei pulled out the hidden weapon from the folds of her clothes and with a sweeping movement, unveiled a crossbow. Two swift clicks of inserting and firing arrows was all it needed to pierce at the heads of those flying creatures. Embedding them onto the ground and bodies of trees, Xiao Mei gave an arrogant smirk as the distance of the red fruit drew near. Supported by Seven's bullets, not even a scratch landed on her skin when surrounded by numerous attackers.
"Almost there." Cipher said curtly while observing the conflict on the side with his leader and Zhitao.
"I don't think she'll succeed though." Zhitao mumbled boredly while squatting down to the ground, "I already told her not to be greedy. Does she really think these treasures could be taken so easily?" Pausing after this sentence the teen took a glance at their leader, "Big Brother Xiao, don't you want to stop her?" 'Xiao Mei listens to you the most.'
"... …"
Xiao Fanyu stood at the side in silence with dispassionate eyes overlooking the battle ahead, his long index finger continuously rubbing at the area around his left shoulder. "Zhitao," he called in a low voice.
"Hm?" With his two arms resting on his legs and a palm supporting his chin, the youth tilted his head in Xiao Fanyu's direction.
"Is it possible for a newbie player to reach this level without the help of equipment or teammates?"
"Ah?" Raising an eyebrow at this ridiculous question, Zhitao answered with confusion, "how can someone pass the trials without equipment?"
The white basic clothes the tower gave doesn't have much supporting abilities.
"If it wasn't due to everyone straining themselves to collect points in the first two levels. We wouldn't have made it alive this far. As we all know, the higher the level, the more danger there is. How can a person reach this level without spending points to change equipment? That is just plain suicide, Brother Xiao did you meet someone like that yesterday?"
Xiao Fanyu lowered his eyes while feeling the roughness of the clothing under the tip of his fingers. Each rub of the scar that remained on his skin is another thought of the woman in white's every little expression. "En, no equipment and is very weak," he said slowly.
"That is very strange. If that person is as weak as you said, they would have died before reaching this level. But surprisingly, they survived this far. Did they have some type of powerful abilities or were they with a very strong group? Can you give a description of that person?" Becoming interested in this mysterious person, Zhitao began to ask in detail.
"Alone and doesn't look like they have an awakened ability." If she really had either of those, then she wouldn't have looked so lost. If she had the power to protect herself, then although the bandits might be difficult to deal with, she still wouldn't have trembled so much.
Anyone who'd come this far has already stained their hands in blood, whether from humans or beasts, no one could have made it this far without lifting a weapon in defense. The sight of death is already something they are familiar with.
But that girl was different. The brightness in those eyes is not misted over with a layer of despair nor fatigue of death. Instead, they were large and shining with a never before seen glow in all his twenty three years of life. So dazzling and captivating.
"Shining and soft…." The young leader provided.
"...??" What kind of description is that? "Well… whatever, I don't even know if that person will survive long enough to meet."
The youth paused in his rubbing motion after hearing these words.
Not sensing the slight change in his leader's mood, Zhitao continued to speak. " If it is as Brother Xiao said with that person not owing any means of protection. They are probably one of those unlucky players that the tower would occasionally rope in. But it's also probably due to luck that they stayed alive till now. However, the levels onwards are no joke without power. Perhaps they're dying as we speak."
Suddenly an icy feeling ran down the teen's back, causing the young man to instantly jump up and turn backwards with a look of horror. Only to… see the same road and trees they had come past. "???"
Xiao Fanyu retrieved the gaze he had on Zhitao before returning his sights onto the battle. Lips pinch together in refusal to speak anymore.
"Shit!" Just as Xiao Mei was about to reach the prize hanging on top of the branches. Dozens of shining silver snakes darted towards her from above. Opening their red mouths, sharp fangs glinted with poisonous droplets of venom as they flew like arrows in the air.
Sensing the inability to dodge, Xiao Mei gritted her teeth and threw a small explosive marble in the enemies direction.
Bam!
Borrowing the impact of the explosion, the young woman pushed her body out of the circle of surrounding enemies and positioned herself meters away. Not able to completely remove herself from the range of fire, the explosion left behind many small cuts on her healthy skin.
"Tch!" Displeased with the results, Xiao Mei threw another explosive over and continuously fired more arrows. Running over to the left where less serpents gather, she abandoned the thought of using the crossbow and instead took out a set of glinting daggers.
Slashing left and right against the enemies crawling on the ground, the strangeness of seeing those snakes solely focused on her even had Seven confused on the side. Unconsciously pausing the support, he took a glance at the three leisurely onlookers before contemplating on whether or not to continue firing.
This little girl has been getting more and more pompous these days, this might be a good time to grind her attitude down a bit.
Thinking so, the middle-aged man returned his weapons back into the holsters on his waist. Crossing his arms he joined the row of spectators near the edge of the battle, right next to Cipher.
"How many points are you willing to bet?" Seven's droopy gaze flitted past Cipher's emotionless face.
The corner of Cipher's lips tug upwards, "I bet one point that she'll last for five more minutes without your help."
Hearing his confident tone the middle-aged man clicked his tongue in awe, "damn, you're so cruel. One point? I bet two."
The two began to count the seconds.
Severing one head then slicing the body of another, Xiao Mei was working hard to avoid getting bitten when she realized the sound of gunshots had ceased.
"Hey?!" Peering back at Seven, she was livid to see that blockhead standing there with an expression of watching a show. Opening her mouth to scold, the fraction of a second in distraction allowed multiple snakes to catch hold of that opportunity. Jumping up from the ground, numerous silver gleams aimed at the flesh of the struggling woman.
Xiao Mei: "?!"
In a matter of seconds before those dangerous fangs were about to reach, a flash of white along rising cold mist embraced the ground. Inch by inch within the blink of an eye, the grass underneath froze with a thin layer of sleet.
Understanding who the person that came to her rescue is, Xiao Mei turned her whole body backward with a look of excitement. "Brother Xiao!"