In this Instance, Will was an extremely unique presence!
Especially the clue that Chen Xiaolian had discovered within Jerusalem when he had ventured out alone!
In that medical retirement home, that Will in his seventies, just before his death, had shouted "Guild Leader" to himself!
Chen Xiaolian had already faintly speculated on a bizarre possibility in his heart.
Furthermore, after the side mission, when the plot had changed, the system had presented special demands!
Will's importance within the storyline had been elevated to an unprecedented level by the system!
Protecting the target individual set by the system - Chen Xiaolian had encountered this kind of task several times, not just once.
But never before had the system emphasized the importance of the target individual to such an extent!
Once Will died, two team members would be forcibly eliminated at random - this harsh and almost unreasonable rule naturally conveyed a message: this young Will was extremely important! Very important!
The Demon King, the confrontation between the Dark Camp and the Light Camp.
The Dark Camp needed to ensure the survival of young Will... and the ultimate goal was to activate the magic array...
These elements combined, it's impossible not to make associations.
Chen Xiaolian walked over and sat beside Will. Originally, Qimu Xi and Xia Xiaolei had intended to sit next to Will, but when they saw Chen Xiaolian approaching, they promptly moved aside.
Anyway, there was enough space inside the Thunderstorm Battle Tank.
When Chen Xiaolian sat down, young Will seemed visibly nervous.
He raised his head, his eyes filled with surprise and a hint of anxiety. "...Guild Leader?"
Hearing that title, Chen Xiaolian raised an eyebrow. He couldn't help but recall the same title used by the elderly Will lying in a hospital bed in Jerusalem, just before he had breathed his last.
"Can we talk?" Chen Xiaolian sighed.
"Of course," young Will replied, nervously fidgeting.
"No need to be afraid." Chen Xiaolian reached out and patted his shoulder, then spoke in a reassuring tone, "Will, I have a question for you... Do you have any other relatives at home? Like, a grandfather or something?"
"I don't." Young Will shook his head. "My grandfather passed away before I was born."
Chen Xiaolian furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment. "Can you tell me about him?"
Young Will seemed somewhat hesitant. "I... actually don't know much about him."
Chen Xiaolian frowned, then thought for a moment. "What was your grandfather's name?"
Young Will immediately provided an answer, but the name he mentioned was unfamiliar to Chen Xiaolian. It was a common Jewish name and didn't contain the word "Will."
"Do you know what kind of person he was?" Chen Xiaolian asked.
Young Will thought for a moment. "I don't know much... but I heard that he used to be a soldier, went to the battlefield, and lost a leg there."
Lost a leg.
Chen Xiaolian sighed; this didn't match at all.
"Oh, I remember now," young Will continued, "I heard that my grandfather was always overweight. He had some kind of hormonal imbalance disease, so he was always overweight, couldn't lose weight no matter what. People thought he was lazy and gluttonous, but in reality, it was because of his illness."
It was all wrong.
This completely contradicted Chen Xiaolian's suspicions.
A missing leg and being overweight - these characteristics didn't match the elderly Will from the retirement home at all.
Chen Xiaolian smiled at Will and said, "Alright, thank you for your answers."
Young Will looked somewhat puzzled. "Guild Leader... did my answers help you?"
"Yes, they were helpful. You've done a great job," Chen Xiaolian reassured the young boy.
Then, he signaled to Qimu Xi and stood up, leaving Qimu Xi to comfort and take care of the young boy.
While Will wanted to be with Soo Soo, she was exhausted after the big battle and was sleeping in Qiao Qiao's arms.
Chen Xiaolian acted directly. He walked to the end of the carriage, grabbed the Electronic Youth, and then looked at everyone. "I'll take him outside for some fresh air."
With that, Chen Xiaolian opened the carriage cover, holding the Electronic Youth in one hand, and climbed out of the carriage, sitting on top of the Thunderstorm Battle Tank.
He casually sat near the flat turret, pulled the Electronic Youth over, and placed him beside himself.
"Let's talk." Chen Xiaolian looked into the young man's eyes.
The Electronic Youth's gaze carried a hint of obscurity and despair.
"I haven't even asked your name yet. What do you go by?" Chen Xiaolian inquired.
"...Thirteen," the Electronic Youth said. Seeing Chen Xiaolian raise an eyebrow, he quickly added, "That's really my name. Just a name, there's no need for me to lie to you." He took a breath and continued hastily, "I grew up in an orphanage, and I didn't like my original name, so I chose this name for myself - I ran away from the orphanage when I was thirteen, so I call myself Thirteen. It's also the name I use in our team."
"Alright," Chen Xiaolian nodded, "I believe you."
"What else do you want to ask me?" Thirteen seemed fearful. "I've already told you everything about our team - I have no reason to hide anything. My team has been wiped out, everyone's dead, the team is gone, so I have no reason to lie anymore."
"I believe that too," Chen Xiaolian nodded, looking at Thirteen. "How about we make a deal?"
"...Thirteen," Thirteen's eyes lit up as he looked at Chen Xiaolian cautiously.
"You see, you definitely don't want to die, right? Everyone wants to stay alive."
Thirteen swallowed nervously. "Of course, I don't want to die, but... will you spare me? I'm afraid you won't."
"Well, after all, killing you would give us 1500 points," Chen Xiaolian said with a deliberate smile. "But, in the end, we don't have much animosity towards you. You see, even though your team ambushed us, we didn't suffer any casualties, but your entire team was wiped out. So... sparing you might not be out of the question, especially since we haven't lost anyone.
As for those 1500 points... what I mean is, if you can provide us with something of value that exceeds those 1500 points, maybe..."
"I don't have any extra points," Thirteen replied with a mournful expression. "Our team has strict management. After each Instance Dungeon is completed, everyone has to hand over all the points they've earned to the one-eyed leader. All the points are with him."
Chen Xiaolian was somewhat surprised. "Is that so?"
"I'm telling the truth," Thirteen said anxiously, fearing that Chen Xiaolian wouldn't believe him. "It's the truth! I really want to live, and if I had points I could use to redeem myself, I would definitely offer them. But in reality, I have less than a hundred points in my personal system."
"Alright, I believe you," Chen Xiaolian smiled with narrowed eyes.
The evening breeze rustled through his hair, making it dance, but the smile on Chen Xiaolian's face sent shivers down Thirteen's spine.
"I didn't intend to extort the points from you," Chen Xiaolian shook his head. "What I meant by providing us with value exceeding 1500 points refers to something else."
"Like what?" Thirteen's eyes brightened.
"For example, you are part of the Light Camp," Chen Xiaolian said slowly. "The system provides different versions of hints and information to the Dark Camp and the Light Camp.
We need access to the system's hints and messages for the Light Camp as a crucial source of intelligence and reference.
For instance, when the system discloses our location coordinates, the locking time, whether the system assists the guys hunting us, what other help or rewards it provides, and so on...
Furthermore, we want to know what the instance missions for the Light Camp are... These are the things I want to know."
Thirteen hesitated for a moment. "Just these? If I tell you these, will you spare me?"
"Of course, not immediately," Chen Xiaolian shook his head. "I certainly can't let you go right now. What I mean is, if you cooperate with me, I will release you before we leave the Instance Dungeon."
Thirteen pondered this proposition.
"Let's be honest with each other; we mutually distrust each other," Chen Xiaolian said calmly. "I will worry that you might lie to me, provide false information, mislead us... and ultimately lead to us being surrounded and killed by other participants. I guess you really hope for our demise, after all, we wiped out your team."
Seeing Thirteen seemingly about to offer a defense, Chen Xiaolian raised a finger and waved it. "No, let's not lie about it. It's human nature. If you say you don't hate us, don't want us dead, I would actually think that's a lie."
Thirteen fell silent.
"So, to ensure you're telling us the truth, I can only do this: tie your fate with ours! If we live, you live. If we die... you die too!"
Thirteen's expression changed.
"If you want to live, you must first cooperate with us completely, ensuring that all the information we receive from you regarding the Light Camp is genuine, with no falsehoods! Only this way can we increase our chances of survival! I can tell you, once we're in dire straits, on the brink of death... for whatever reason, I will shoot you first."
Thirteen shuddered, then he thought for a moment. "But... even if I truly didn't lie to you, tell you everything truthfully, provide timely and accurate information... how can I be sure that you won't break your word in the end? That you won't shoot me when you all survive in the end?"
"You can only take the gamble," Chen Xiaolian spread his hands. "There are only two possible outcomes: either you don't trust me, deceive me, provide false information, and in the end, I will definitely eliminate you before I die - and I'm sorry, but at that point, I won't be reasonable, no matter what dire situation we encounter or whether it's related to you... I won't listen to any arguments. If we face any dire situation, I will eliminate you before I die!
Or, you trust me, and we cooperate sincerely, and in the end, I will spare you... of course, you can remain skeptical, but that's the only chance you have to survive.
You see, one is certain death, and the other is a glimmer of hope for survival. Which one will you choose?"
Thirteen fell into silence.
Chen Xiaolian smiled gently. "Of course, you can also resolve to use yourself as bait, deliberately provide us with false information to harm us, and die alongside us, seeking revenge for your deceased comrades - but based on my observation of you during our journey just now, you don't seem to be that noble."
Thirteen finally ended his silence, gritting his teeth. "You're right. I'm not. I grew up in an orphanage, and from a very young age, I understood one thing: snatch your own piece of bread first."
"You see, with that in mind, we have the basis for cooperation," Chen Xiaolian reached out his hand to Thirteen. "So, are you willing to give it a try?"
Thirteen stared at Chen Xiaolian and finally chuckled, "I don't have any other choice. I have to trust you... Do you promise that as long as you survive, you won't kill me?"
"I promise," Chen Xiaolian said with a smile. "I'm a trustworthy person when it comes to my word."
"Alright, then I promise that I will absolutely not lie to you. Any information you need, I will honestly provide it to you," Thirteen said seriously. "After all, my life is tied to yours."
"Very well, then let's consider our deal sealed," Chen Xiaolian said, narrowing his eyes and smiling at Thirteen. "Now, I'd like to ask you for the first piece of information."
"What do you want to know?"
Chen Xiaolian took a deep breath. "You've also gone through the first phase of this Instance. What I want to know is, during the first phase, what was your mission, or rather, who was the target person the system required you to find?"