Hal Maxwell, whether judged by the moral standards of Chinese people or natives of the Navalon Continent, would undoubtedly be classified as a scoundrel.
He was unquestionably self-serving, cold-hearted, and capable of adapting to any circumstances; at least, he would lower his head for the sake of his comrades. In an orderly society, he would certainly be unwelcome, but when placed in a gray area where law was non-existent, he could still hold a leadership position in a small team or organization.
In short, whatever could move Rex certainly didn't hold the same for Hal. He patiently listened to Blossoming Strokes introduce the situation of those three rescued individuals and responded by laughing.
Not only did he respond with mockery, but Hal also rolled his eyes at the players as if they were idiots. "What does that have to do with me? Why would I want to meet such disgusting scum?"
Players: "What the heck?!"
Blossoming Strokes raised a hand to signal everyone to not rush into criticizing. Then, still brimming with confidence, she looked toward Hal and asked, "Are you sure, Hal? Have you really decided to not lend a hand to help Ossirian and the other two?"
Hal had only listened to these undead because he had nothing better to do. Now his patience was nearly spent, so he waved his hand dismissively, shooing them away. "Cut the crap and scram. Get out of my tent."
"Do you still remember Jim?" asked Blossoming Strokes.
Hal's annoyed expression instantly froze.
Blossoming Strokes continued calmly, "Your friend from the industrial city in the north of the Kenyan Empire you met when schooling… Wait, no. Jim couldn't have met you while you were still studying at a prestigious institution. You met him after you stopped going to school. You let Jim die, didn't you?"
Hal's stiff face turned grim, and the skin around his eyes tightened. He stared at Blossoming Strokes with a murderous look.
The threat of death was something that players least cared about, so even though Hal closely resembled a real enraged murderer right now, she nonchalantly continued her barrage, "You let Jim die without offering any help and even climbed all over his body to survive. How many years have you been haunted by that same nightmare? After Jim, have those other people you let down also appear in your dreams?"
"Shut up!" Hal snapped, taking a step forward and poking his finger into Blossoming Strokes. "Shut your mouth, undead! Regardless of where you heard about my affairs, you have no right to point fingers at me!"
Blossoming Strokes responded with a calm smile, "You're wrong, Hal. We are not here to teach you how to do things; we're here to threaten you."
Hal. "?!"
"You are the boss of the other instructors, right? We all know that Tuttle, Finley, and Jerome all listen to you," Blossoming Strokes stated gleefully. "If you don't do as we say," she raised both hands, gesturing to the other three undead behind her, "we will tell everyone about your nightmares where Jim terrifies you, making you break down in tears and begging for forgiveness."
"What sort of cr*p are you spouting!" Hal's face turned purple.
"I'm not speaking any untruths. Afraid to be killed, you accepted a gold coin to personally bury your friend's body. Becoming scum just to survive? You were quite candid when you screamed about it in your dreams," said the smiling Blossoming Strokes.
Hal. "…
Hal Maxwell's knees buckled, and he submitted.
Having successfully persuaded (threatened) Hal to agree to meet the three rescued individuals, Unceasing Entropy couldn't help but give Blossoming Strokes a thumbs-up.
In front of Hal, Unceasing Entropy openly praised Blossoming Strokes, "Blossom, you were really steady. When Hal got mad, I thought you were gonna get chopped down."
Blossoming Strokes grinned in satisfaction. "On the contrary, as soon as that happened, I knew that it was a done deal. Our strategy was absolutely effective."
"What do you mean?" Guileless Gale and Win By Grinding, who hadn't contributed much, were both puzzled.
"You guys all know that I'm a web novelist, right? I've read some psychology books in order to make my characters more lifelike." Blossoming Strokes didn't hide anything and openly shared her habit of observing human NPCs' reactions. "If someone is truly angry, the emotion of anger accumulates gradually, just like how a person would get louder and more agitated during an argument.
"But if someone appears extremely angry in an instant, this anger often contains a dramatic element, possibly guilt, evasion, projection, or some similar factor."
Hal, who was sullenly walking behind the players, looked in amazement at this female undead whose only good point was her melodious voice.
Hal couldn't understand what a web novelist was, but the way Blossoming Strokes' depiction of psychology and human emotional reactions was clear and spot on. Just the thought of it sent a chill down Hal's spine.
These undead creatures actually understand psychology and know how to analyze human emotional responses?!
O Assassin God, which terrifying Dimensional Realm did Yang summon these weirdos from?!
Arriving at the players' makeshift tents, Hal laid his eyes on Ossirian, Lyka, and the black-haired human youth.
Hal wasn't like Rex, whose top priority was the expedition team's safety, nor did he care if anyone attacked the undead caravan. And he certainly wasn't going to show any sympathy for unfortunate souls he found "disgusting." Therefore, he had nothing to say to Ossirian and the other two.
After standing in awkward silence for a while, Hal impatiently turned to the undead that had pressured him to come. "I've seen them, you bastards. Satisfied now?"
This scene… left the players perplexed.
"Why aren't they interacting? Does Hal not have any plotline for this quest?" Guileless Gale mused.
"That shouldn't be. Rex is Level 5, and so is Hal. Both of them ought to have a plotline, right?" Blossoming Strokes scratched her head.
"Could something be missing, perhaps some crucial factor?" Win By Grinding frowned.
Veins bulged on Hal's forehead. "Stop muttering behind my back while I'm talking to you, you damned undead!"
"Ummmm… Hal, could you talk to them for a bit?" Blossoming Strokes asked.
The bulging veins on Hal's forehead were turning purple. "You said that I just had to see them. Don't push it!"
"Tsk," Blossoming Strokes clicked her tongue and slightly raised her voice. "You are making things difficult for me, Hal-san~ Can't you cooperate a tiny bit? Otherwise, we'll have to go find Tuttle for a chat~"
Hal's hand went to the hilt of his blade.
"Cutting me down won't help either," Blossoming Strokes said with nonchalance. "It's no use even if you kill everyone present here. To be honest, it isn't just the few of us that know your secret. You understand, right?"
Hal gritted his teeth, then reluctantly withdrew his hand…
Hal was from the Kenyan Empire, and when it came to orcs… well, he didn't hold them in high regard. After all, in the environment he grew up in, orcs were nothing more than a kind of livestock. This was the view that had been shaped since his childhood and wasn't easy to change.
After filtering out the two orcs, the only one Hal could barely bring himself to speak to was the black-haired youth. "You, kid. What's your name?"
The players didn't care about Hal's intimidating aura, but the black-haired youth was visibly frightened. He stammered in response, "I… I'm Brook."
"Where are you from?" Hal glanced at the players and continued the conversation, clearly agitated.
"I'm… I'm a citizen of the Rhine Kingdom, and I used to live in Indahl," Young Brook replied timidly.
"How did you end up in Weisshem?"
"My comrades and I were hunting Long-Eared Red Foxes on the outskirts of the Sorenson Mountains. We got… separated by accident, and I, uh, was deceived by a caravan from the south. I wanted to return to the city with them, but then…"
"—Are you an idiot?" Hal immediately rebuked, raising his voice. "Living in Indahl and not knowing what these caravans coming and going are like? And you even followed them?!"
Young Brook:...
"I've seen too many half-grown brats like you, who don't know their place. Read a few fables or knight legends and think they can become the protagonists of such stories—daring to leave the town with some rookie team that isn't the least bit reliable and thinking they can make a name for themselves!" Hal pointed at the youth angrily. "Let me tell you the eventual fate of such foolish kids in the end. Either they turn into some wild beast's dung, together with their so-called brothers and friends, or they're used for some foolish, suicidal task by a dark mage, and their eventual fate is still turning into beast dung!"
After severely chastising young Brook, Hal turned his wrathful gaze toward the players. "Are you satisfied now, you bastards?"
Players. "…"
"Yes, yes. Very." The corner of Blossoming Strokes' mouth was twitching.
The players couldn't understand the human kid's language, but they could clearly hear what Hal was saying. Given Blossoming Strokes' high EQ, she could tell that while Hal was chastising the kid, he was actually resenting his past; with a past that could be turned into a dungeon, this fellow was undoubtedly someone with a story.
Regardless of whether Hal was venting his anger or reflecting on his past, his sudden outburst aligned perfectly with the players' expectations of "NPC storyline progression." Blossoming Strokes, who was rather proactive, didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity and asked in earnest, "This Weisshem is a truly wicked place. What do you think, Hal?"
Hal instinctively wanted to reply with "It's none of my business," but he remembered how the undead had threatened him the previous time he had said that. So, he gritted his teeth and grunted, "Yes, yes, so what?"
The four players simply had no idea that Hal was reluctantly playing along because he was afraid of their threats. Believing this was the "storyline being progressed" energized them, and they watched Hal eagerly.
"Hal, I think we need to eliminate this den of evil and rescue the people there. What do you think?" Blossoming Strokes was so excited her breathing became heavy.
Hal impatiently muttered, "Of course." It was only after he replied did he come to realize what this undead was actually saying. In an instant, the look of annoyance on his face turned into pleasant surprise.
"Success!" Guileless Gale, Win By Grinding, and Unceasing Entropy were equally thrilled.
"Then let us go and attack Weisshem, Hal!" Blossoming Strokes said excitedly.
"Exactly! We should do just that. This is our purpose for heading out this far!" Hal decisively agreed.
Hal had been racking his brains on how to deceive the bunch of undead into wreaking havoc and causing massive trouble for Yang under Rex's watch. But now, these undead were actually volunteering for it!
Of course, just because he wanted to let the undead go and stir up trouble didn't mean he was willing to risk his own life. Thus, Hal immediately put on his "NPC" demeanor and shamelessly said to the four players, "My undead friends, if you wish to save the people in Weisshem, there are two things you need to do."
"Say it and we'll do it!" the four players declared confidently.
Hal put up two fingers. "First, you guys have to convince Rex. If Rex disagrees, he has the authority to cancel a quest issued by me. Second, you must complete this mission on your own. We have a past with the Rhine Kingdom and will attract powerful enemies if we enter town openly, which won't be conducive toward saving the unfortunate people of Weisshem."
"No problem!" The four players thumped their chests in glee.
By "activating" Hal's interactive storyline, the four players believed that they had nearly secured the quest, and convincing Rex was the final step.
Hal's request for non-participation by instructor NPCs didn't seem like a big issue to them. In most games, NPCs simply talked, while players did all the legwork.
With a consensus reached, Hal and the four players were all pleased, and a harmonious atmosphere prevailed among them.
When Yang Qiu came "online," these eager players had already formed their raid group and teams and were surrounding Rex, requesting the quest.
As Yang Qiu "listened in" on the players trying to convince Rex for a bit and came to understand what had happened during the 16-hour absence when he was "offline," a peculiar expression came over his face.
"…Yang?"
Inspector Lowell, who was seated opposite Yang Qiu, partaking in afternoon tea, sat a little straighter in his seat upon noticing Yang Qiu's strange expression.
Yang Qiu collected himself and gave a slight smile. "Inspector Lowell, could you please look after the place temporarily?"
Lowell: "??"
The Black-robed Inspector considered that the undead had been gone for four days and made some mental calculations of the tricycle expedition team. "Forgive me for presuming… Have your undead gotten into trouble in the Rhine Kingdom?"
"Of course not." Yang Qiu sipped on his tea calmly. "In fact, what our undead friends are about to do is also something I once wished to do. Just that back then, I was too busy dealing with those lunatics from the Radiant Sun Church to do so."
Hearing this, Inspector Lowell's expression turned grave.
Something that the "Nightmare Butcher" wanted to do didn't bode well.
"I think that perhaps you might need a companion, Yang," Inspector Lowell said solemnly.
"It would be my honor," Yang Qiu accepted graciously without the slightest shred of hesitation.
Lowell. "…"
The Black-robed Inspector suddenly felt something was off…
While Yang Qiu pulled a little trick to get Inspector Lowell involved, elsewhere in the camp, Rex, who was besieged by layers upon layers of undead, was utterly bewildered.
He couldn't understand how Hal had managed to reach an agreement with the undead. After all, Hal had never been willing to engage with them beyond assigning quests!
"…Everyone, please calm down and listen to me." Rex gulped hard and motioned for the undead to quiet down. "Six months ago, I passed through Weisshem. It might be a small town, but it housed dozens of black-market businesses, all of which employ muscle. Moreover, the town has its own militia… Taking Weisshem won't be easy.
"Besides that, Weisshem is several tens of kilometers away from Indahl, the largest city in the south of the Rhine Kingdom. Indahl's garrison will definitely respond quickly, and even if we manage to capture Weisshem, we won't be able to hold it.
"Furthermore, there are thousands of civilians living in Weisshem who have no connection to the black-market businesses. If the town falls into chaos, those innocent civilians would inevitably suffer…"
Having waited impatiently for hours to set off, Brother Lahong couldn't stand it anymore. He raised a hand and fervently declared, "Don't worry, mere mercenaries and thugs are nothing. At most, we can raid them at night. There's no need to worry about holding the place. We will have a respawn point once we take the stronghold. What can that garrison from Idali or whatever even do then?"
"That's right!" Qin Guan chimed in. "Just leave it to us, Rex. Look at our quality; we're entirely different from those feudal armies. We guarantee that we'll take over Weisshem without the slightest bit of harm befalling the civilians!"
The two blood alliance leaders had already said all the grand words, so Ji Tang could only sincerely urge Rex on, "Please trust your undead friends, Rex. Even though we are deceased, we understand the value of life."
Players wouldn't attack civilians. This bit was something that Ji Tang was most confident in. With Identify, they could tell with a single glance that these ordinary folk held no valuable loot.
Rex looked to the sky and sighed. "Very well. Then, let me accompany you on this journey—"
"No, no, no!" Yang Ying, Tang Jia, Qin Guan, and others who had advanced to become warriors got anxious and vehemently tried to stop him. "Don't make things more complicated. We'd have to focus on the siege and protect you at the same time. We don't have the luxury of that!"
Rex. "…"
He actually wanted to feel touched by the undead's care for him, but for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that something didn't add up…
When the expedition team set out, Yang Qiu had granted these instructors additional matrix permissions. In addition to the usual "daily" quests, they now had the option of freely issuing quests, allowing the instructor NPCs to command the fearless players to step up in case of emergencies.
This permission was also reserved for Mia, but Yang Qiu didn't directly include Mia in the matrix. Instead, a backdoor was left to Rex, where he could "pull" Mia into the matrix as a last resort if her life was in danger. After all, even professional-level combatants already found it challenging to withstand the mental torment inflicted by players, so it would certainly be harder for Mia, who was merely a civilian.
Once Rex had been convinced by the players, Hal led his fellow brothers to take the stage. Under Rex's intense gaze, Hal shamelessly approached him, feigning concern for the undead operation and discussing how to issue quests that would make it easier for them.
With the experience of being "quest-issuers" for nearly two months, these "advanced NPCs" were familiar with the routines and formats for assigning tasks to the undead, whether they liked it or not.
Once Rex's apprehensions were cleared, this bunch soon issued well-structured quests:
- [Save Weisshem]
- [Rescue Captured Civilians]
- [Eliminate Enemies]
At Rex's strong insistence, the [Eliminate Enemies] quest was changed to [Capture Enemies]. It wasn't that Rex was afraid of his undead compatriots inadvertently shedding blood; he was more concerned that the undead might get carried away and harm civilians.
The players didn't care whether it was "eliminate" or "capture." They gladly accepted the quests and set off for Weisshem gleefully.
After watching the undead depart jubilantly, Rex turned his head and glared icily at Hal.
Hal, not one to back down, returned with an unfriendly gaze.
"…Sometimes, I really don't understand how someone as short-sighted as you managed to rise so high." Rex's suppressed anger was evident in his voice, unspoken but palpable. "Did you think that you can act without consequences after leaving Taranthan? Don't be naive, my friend. Yang sees all you guys do."
There was a subtle shift in Hal's expression, but he didn't show any signs of fear. Instead, he let out a mocking chuckle and said, "Stop lecturing others here. Who do you think you are, Little Charlie? Don't forget that this plan was the undead's idea in the first place. So what if I incited it? If Yang doesn't object, it means he approves of it. What right do you have to be spouting crap out of your butt?"
Rex couldn't refute what Hal said at all. His lips quivered for a moment before he could only hiss, "I hope you have the confidence you speak of."
As Hal and his gang watched Rex leave in a huff, Knight Instructor Jerome couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "This fellow is really arrogant."
Tuttle muttered with a deadpan expression, "He's already a weapons master at such an age. He has the right."
This former Sacred Crows' strategist clearly wasn't in the right state of mind after the morning's setback. His comment struck Hal, Finley, and Jerome pretty hard.
Hal had barely made it as an assassin after the age of thirty. Finley, in actuality, hadn't managed to advance to master treasure expert, and Jerome, who was the same age as Rex, hadn't even obtained an official knight insignia—were it not for the fact that they weren't confident of taking down Rex even when combining forces, these bunch would have joined hands and eliminated this troublesome guy a long time ago.
Finley was about to make some small talk to break the awkward atmosphere when he suddenly paled.
"Finley?" Jerome, standing next to him, realized something wasn't quite right with his comrade's face.
Hal turned to look and got shocked as well. "Hey, buddy, what's wrong with you?"
"…Wait! We've overlooked something!" Finley exclaimed, sweating buckets. "Those undead have gone to attack Weisshem on their own… But they can't communicate with the locals! And they disappear if killed… How are we going to make the people of Weisshem know that they are from Taranthan?!"
Hal was dumbfounded for a moment, then suddenly pinched his thigh hard and unleashed a phrase he had learned from the players.
"The f*ck!"