Chapter 361: The Tacit Agreement
Chapter 361: The Tacit Agreement
"You child."
"You're too stubborn and refuse to listen to your elders' advice. You're bound to get into trouble!"
"When you come to Volcano City in the future, you'll need to focus not only on cultivating your Essence and accumulating knowledge but also on learning how to interact with others."
With these words of reprimand, Qinggan left.
Eighth Stage Beings were rare in the world.
Even though the Will of the Forest had almost lost its sense of self, there was no reason for Volcano City to abandon it.
Qinggan knew what he had to do and immediately set out.
In the aftermath, amidst the desolate ruins of the Lake Island Sanctuary, strewn with corpses, only Lindsey and Elaine remained, looking at each other in bewilderment.
A cold northern wind blew, carrying a chill.
The uncontrolled mud around them rippled, forming intricate patterns beneath their feet, accompanied by a rising mist that was both moist and slightly turbid.
The battle between the two Sixth Stage Awakeners had almost completely reshaped the surrounding terrain.
The Lake Island Sanctuary had become a muddy swamp.
However, with the culprit who had attacked the Forest Vein lying dead on the spot, the surrounding forest plants, though still in a feral state, gradually calmed down.
Especially in the center of the sanctuary.
But due to the recent manifestation of the Forest's Will, an even denser Essence aura permeated the area, causing a noticeable increase in physical recovery speed for anyone standing there, even if they did nothing.
"..."
"The plants didn't attack me because of you, right?"
Elaine spoke up, breaking the silence in the wind.
"What exactly is the Will of the Forest? Lindsey, can you tell me?"
Lindsey shrugged.
"In simple terms, the Forest Vein has self-awareness, and it has a favorable opinion of me. When I was pulled underground, I managed to convince it. So, from now on, you shouldn't be targeted by these feral plants in the Forest Courtyard."
Lindsey spoke lightly, but Elaine didn't share his nonchalance.
The girl, with a merchant's caution, asked,
"This isn't a paid service, is it?"
Lindsey almost laughed out loud.
Even though they hadn't seen each other in a while, Elaine's impression of him as a ruthless businessman hadn't changed one bit.
"Don't worry, this is a favor from a friend, and it doesn't require any payment."
"..."
Elaine wrinkled her nose, circled around Lindsey, and examined him closely.
It was as if she was getting to know the man before her all over again.
Her gaze finally rested on Lindsey's restored left hand, and she continued,
"Well, I do have some bad news for you."
"Not long after you left Nine Bays City, chaos erupted, and this time, I won't be able to give you much of a dividend."
Lindsey waved his hand generously.
"I don't need money right now; you keep it for yourself!"
As Lindsey chatted with Elaine, he also inspected his belongings.
Before the Will of the Forest receded, it had left him with a seed, and it wasn't just any ordinary seed.
[Consumable: Nursery Management Seed]
[A seed that stores management permissions. Upon consumption, it can activate the Garden Management System, allowing for one operation. Options: Environment Adjustment, Water Flow Guidance, Plant Growth, Species Selection, Enemy Elimination...]
[Garden Management System's control permissions are extremely valuable!]
"..."
Lindsey blinked.
With this item in hand, he could easily impersonate a Representative of the World's Will.
The upcoming trip to Echo Valley would be much safer.
In addition, there was another item among the mission rewards.
[Accessory/Material: Botanist's Backpack]
[When equipped, the user consumes Essence, and the backpack provides information on the locations of valuable plants in the vicinity. It can also be used as a material to craft other items.]
[A rare reconnaissance item with moderate value.]
Lindsey had thought it was a backpack, but it turned out to be an accessory!
The effect of the Botanist's Backpack was also intriguing.
If Lindsey wore it, as described in the attribute panel, he could consume Essence to scout the surrounding plants.
But what if it wasn't carried on his back in reality, but instead placed in his equipment slot?
When Lin Sai activated his Map skill, the essence consumption would increase accordingly. However, the effect of the Botanist's Backpack would also immediately appear on the map, marking all the precious plants in the nearby area!
It felt like enabling the map search function in a game, so convenient! He took another look at the synthesis list—
[1 Botanist's Backpack + 1 Professional Prospector's Compass + 1 Wilderness Hunter's Guide + 1 Thief's Trap Manual = Multifunctional Detector]
Lin Sai desperately wanted this equipment!
He wished he could make his left hand malfunction three times right now and then go on quests to collect these items!
Lin Sai anxiously paced back and forth on the spot, feeling restless due to the synthesis system.
Meanwhile, Elaine wasn't idle either.
The young girl walked up to Aly Kun's corpse and stuffed the deceased merchant into her Trading Space.
Although Aly Kun was dead, the items in his Merchant Space were still there!
If she delivered this body to the Merchant Guild Union, whether she hired someone to retrieve Aly Kun's belongings or sold them as a blind box product, these were all common ways of handling such situations!
After taking care of Aly Kun's body, Elaine scanned her surroundings.
She didn't mind making some money off the dead.
However, the battle between the two Sixth Stage Awakened had left the area in a mess, making it unrealistic to expect any further gains.
The merchant girl had no choice but to turn to Lin Sai:
"Lin Sai, are you heading to Echo Valley next?"
Lin Sai nodded:
"That's right. Although my hand injury has healed, there are still some issues with my body, so I must make another trip."
Hearing this answer, Elaine sounded a bit disappointed:
"I was planning to go to Distant City."
"The news of Aly Kun's death is quite a sensation. Just like that old woman who wanted to report to Volcano City earlier, I also need to sell this information to the Chamber of Commerce."
Lin Sai also felt a bit regretful:
"It seems like our reunion this time will be brief."
Lin Sai sighed and quickly accepted the situation.
Although he regretted not being able to accompany Elaine, the world was like this, never revolving around a single person. Everyone had their own paths to follow.
As the atmosphere turned to farewell, Elaine suddenly spoke up, reminding Lin Sai:
"Lin Sai, do you know Hans Ke and Mullernahun?"
Lin Sai shared what he knew: "There's a rumor that they both went missing, but in reality, they seem to have fought their way out of the city and are currently chasing each other in the forest."
Elaine nodded solemnly:
"They were both seen near the Secret Realm, and the direction they left in was also towards Echo Valley."
"If you're going there, it's best to be extra careful on the way."
Lin Sai had expected this.
After all, the Qinggan he encountered in the forest was tracking these two guys.
Two injured Seventh Stage Awakened...
Thinking of this, Lin Sai looked at his newly acquired items.
If it were a day ago, he wouldn't have had any means to deal with these two Seventh Stage Awakened.
But now...
Lin Sai shook his head and smiled, feeling assured.
"I think it shouldn't be a problem."
Seeing Lin Sai's reaction, Elaine didn't persuade him further.
She walked up to him, and they embraced lightly as a farewell.
At the moment their bodies touched, the merchant girl whispered in Lin Sai's ear:
"Lin Sai, let's make a promise."
Lin Sai asked, "What promise?"
Elaine's tone carried a hint of girlish complaint:
"Your appearance keeps changing, and I can't tell who you are."
"So let's agree that if you meet me in disguise, you'll leave a mole on your left ear."
"Let it be our secret sign, okay?"
(End of Chapter)
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