“That scared me to death, Merlin!” Scheffiel exclaimed. “I was so afraid something had happened to you.
Perhaps because her subordinates weren’t around, Scheffiel threw herself into Yue Wu’s embrace, completely disregarding her usual composure.
“Um, do you know my brother, Yue Wu?” Jeanne D’Arc asked.
For some reason, Jeanne D’Arc felt a strong intuition that this mysterious man before her was connected to Yue Wu.
“Yes, I do,” Yue Wu replied with a nod.
Currently, he was not Yue Wu, but Merlin. This identity as Merlin could serve as a valuable fallback, especially for matters best handled in secret.
“Then what is your relationship with my brother?” Jeanne D’Arc pressed.
Upon learning of his connection to Yue Wu, Jeanne D’Arc suddenly recalled Yue Wu’s mention of the Ten Rings’ top members back at the Adventurers’ Guild. Could this man be one of the other nine?
“We’re friends. Like you, I’m a relatively new member of the Ten Rings,” Yue Wu clarified.
“Merlin Avalon, a solitary mage who loves adventure. This is my emblem, ‘Law’.”
With that, Yue Wu produced the emblem belonging to Harry Potter, one of the Ten Rings’ former members.
When Yue Wu declared himself a mage, disbelief rippled through everyone present.
Who had ever seen a mage skilled in swordsmanship? Who had witnessed a mage nearly defeat a demon commander with bare hands alone?
“Scheffiel, I have a question for you.”
Yue Wu glanced at the group of black-robed figures, and an idea suddenly sparked in his mind.
“Mm, ask away,” Scheffiel responded, unsure what he intended to inquire about.
“If we capture members of evil factions, does the empire offer rewards?” Yue Wu asked, gesturing towards the black-robed individuals.
Scheffiel’s gaze followed his indication.
“For ordinary members, it’s one hundred gold coins each. Those with ranks are compensated separately.”
“In that case, I won’t hold back.”
The moment Yue Wu extended his hand, the Chains of Heaven instantly manifested.
Every single black-robed figure was ensnared, not one escaping their golden grasp.
“Those chains? If this humble one isn’t mistaken, they must be artifacts from an ancient king,” Luoge East murmured, a hint of surprise in her voice.
She was astonished that the man before her possessed items from such a distant era.
“You can use the Chains of Heaven too?” Jeanne D’Arc exclaimed.
She hadn’t expected Merlin, who claimed to be a fellow member of the Ten Rings, to also wield Yue Wu’s magic. However, Jeanne D’Arc was unaware that it was the ring’s inherent ability.
“The Chains of Heaven? Are you saying those golden chains are one of the ancient king’s weapons? The divine artifact, Chains of Heaven!?”
Jeanne D’Arc’s words stunned many, regardless of whether they considered it an item or magic. Such an artifact was thought to have vanished after the ancient king’s death, leaving behind only history and legends.
“This humble one has suddenly grown quite interested in your brother and that individual,” Luoge East said, turning to Jeanne D’Arc with a meaningful smile.
“If possible, I would like to join as well.”
“Well, with that matter concluded, I shall send you all on your way.”
Without waiting for their responses, Yue Wu directly teleported them outside the Fenrir Forest. Scheffiel and the black-robed figures, however, were sent straight into the Adventurers’ Guild in Sachsen City, startling Arken Post who was busy working.
****
“Alright, everyone’s been sent off. Now, it’s time for my treasure hunt!”
‘Treasure Hunt’ activated. ‘Detection’ activated.
Yue Wu initiated two max-level life skills. Having arrived at the ruins, he intended to thoroughly scavenge the area and fully immerse himself in a real, thrilling treasure-hunting journey.
In the game, this place had been discovered by others first, who had plundered everything, leaving behind only an empty ruin, save for the occasional monster spawn.
“Left? Right?” Yue Wu mused aloud.
“Rock, paper, scissors! This side won, so right it is.”
Upon reaching a fork in the path, Yue Wu, caught in indecision, devised a method to choose his route. Anyone witnessing it might have been tempted to call him an idiot.
‘Why does it feel like I’m walking increasingly downhill?’
*Click!*
However, not long after Yue Wu ventured right, his right foot seemed to step on something—a trigger for a mechanism.
*Boom!*
A tremendous roar echoed from behind Yue Wu, accompanied by rapid, high-frequency vibrations, like a massive stone rolling at great speed.
‘Could it be…’
Yue Wu swallowed hard, slowly turning his head to look. What he saw was not the colossal boulder he’d imagined, yet it was not far off: a ‘hedgehog’ bristling with sharp spikes.
“MMP!” Yue Wu cursed under his breath.
Terrified, he completely forgot that he possessed the power to destroy such a thing. At that moment, he was in a frantic flight for his life, constantly glancing back to gauge the distance between himself and the monstrous ‘hedgehog’.
‘I’m going to die! I’m going to die!’
Seeing the ‘hedgehog’ relentless in its pursuit, its distance from him shrinking rapidly, he pushed himself to run even harder.
“Eh?”
Suddenly, as Yue Wu ran, he noticed the ground beneath his feet had vanished. He looked down to see a pit, and with a whoosh, he tumbled into it just as the ‘hedgehog’ rolled past.
*Thump! Splash!*
Yue Wu plunged directly into the water, sending a high spray upwards. Afterward, the surface stilled, and Yue Wu did not re-emerge, as if he had truly sunk.
In reality, Yue Wu had already surfaced, but into a different realm beneath the water.
Unlike the barren ruins, this place was arguably the only oasis within the entire ancient site.
‘I never expected such a feature within these ruins!’
Here lay an endless expanse of grassland under a clear, azure sky. However, it wasn’t *all* grassland; about seven hundred meters ahead stood a colossal tree, its species unidentifiable.
Intriguingly, this enormous tree formed a natural house.
‘Does no one truly live here?’
A refreshing breeze swept across the prairie. Yue Wu stood before the tree-house’s entrance, attempting a knock.
To his surprise, the door gently swung open, revealing an interior furnished with naturally formed wooden pieces.
“From now on, you are the master of this place.”
Just then, a small girl, no bigger than an infant, appeared before Yue Wu. Only a few parts of her body were modestly covered by green leaves.
Her hair, a vibrant emerald, was incredibly long, trailing more than a meter on the ground.
“Aren’t you the master here?” Yue Wu asked gently.
Unable to bear the little girl constantly looking up at him, he knelt down and placed a hand on her head.
“No, I am the guardian spirit of this place. I have been here for three hundred years, always waiting for someone to arrive.”
“Don’t you find it boring?”
“Boring? What is boring?”
“Boring means loneliness.”
“Boring? Loneliness? What is loneliness?”
“Don’t you feel solitary, being here all this time? Solitary means being here all by yourself.”
“I don’t understand. I only know that I have been here ever since I opened my eyes.”
The little girl answered every question Yue Wu posed. However, since her appearance, she had displayed almost no other expressions, resembling nothing so much as a doll.
“Then what is your name?”
“Name?”
“Yes, a name, just like mine is Yue Wu.”
“I have no name.”
“Then I’ll give you one. How about Xiao Qing?”
“Xiao… Qing?”
“That’s right, Xiao Qing!”
“Xiao Qing.”
“So clever! Now, give me a smile.”
“Smile? What is that?”
“Like this.”
Ultimately, Yue Wu deduced Xiao Qing’s true nature. She was a nature spirit, born three hundred years ago from the colossal tree, or perhaps from this very realm itself.
Though Xiao Qing had acquired a physical body over three centuries, her prolonged isolation in this uninhabited space had prevented her from developing even the most basic human emotions.
“Would you like to come out with me?”
Yue Wu couldn’t bear to leave Xiao Qing alone in this place, so he resolved to take her with him.
“Xiao Qing belongs to Master. Wherever Master goes, Xiao Qing will follow.”
Xiao Qing sat on the ground, looking remarkably docile and adorable.
“Then, when we’re outside, don’t call me Master, alright?” Yue Wu requested gently.
Xiao Qing, ever compliant, readily agreed.
“I’m a little reluctant to leave this environment. Xiao Qing, you feel the same, don’t you?”
As they prepared to depart, Yue Wu cast a final glance back at the majestic tree.
“Master, you can stay here forever.”
Xiao Qing was indeed reluctant to leave, but the feeling of being held in Yue Wu’s arms instantly forged a profound dependence within her. Whether they stayed or left became irrelevant; being by Yue Wu’s side was all that mattered.