Qin Lun fell silent. He had long expected the choice Nicole and Longer would make. Stark was dead, Philip was dead, all other members of Fortress were dead. Maintaining the Silver Team no longer held any meaning.
Neither Nicole nor Longer were ambitious Apostles. Their only remaining wish was to find a good team willing to accept them. In that regard, the Lost Team was their best option right now.
Kelly and Robin’s performance had already proven Lost was a good team. Even though nearly all the novices they led perished in this world, it wasn’t really their fault. Both Kelly’s bravery and Robin’s wisdom were deeply impressive.
Most importantly, they truly valued new blood. When danger struck in several places, the leaders themselves tackled the most perilous tasks instead of sending newbies to their deaths as cannon fodder. For Nicole and Longer, this point was especially crucial. No one wanted to become the veterans’ shield the moment they joined the team.
Likewise, for Kelly and Robin, Nicole and Longer were valuable new blood worth absorbing. Longer’s fighting strength wasn’t high, but his scouting talent was decent.
Back in the Alamir Mountains, it was him who first discovered the hollow passage in Ironstar Fortress – Qin Lun, with his several Eye Techniques, hadn’t noticed anything amiss. A first-order scout Rogue, as long as he can stay highly vigilant at all times, is considered competent.
As for Nicole, she was actually Fortress Team’s most valuable legacy. The Lost Team wasn’t short on fighters. Powerful warriors like Stark and Philip were abundant. But a pure support Divine Caster is highly prized in any major team. Back in the Valley of the Undead, if Stark and Philip hadn’t been so slow, bolstered by Nicole’s stamina-replenishing abilities, they might well have escaped.
Such Apostles are extremely difficult to cultivate, usually requiring a massive investment of resources. Picking up a second-order healer for free, one rich in adventuring experience and who wouldn’t abandon comrades in a pinch? To put it bluntly, even if all the new recruits in the Lost Novices batch had died out, it would still be a profitable gain.
Nicole and Longer possessed strong team spirit, loyal to comrades and unwilling to abandon them, matching Lost’s recruitment standards perfectly. Moreover, accepting these two meant Fortress’s Silver Team title would also pass to Lost. By building a team around Nicole’s abilities, Lost would gain a new, formal sub-team.
“And… sir, you want me to join Lost too?” Qin Lun asked cautiously.
Now that Kelly knew Qin Lun was an Apostle, his Moon Elf Prince status didn’t garner respect before her, especially since he operated in Devil’s Horn. If Kelly wanted trouble, finding him would be all too easy.
“I don’t invite the same person three times!” Kelly glanced at Qin Lun and slowly shook her head. “I’m asking what you plan to do after returning to the Shattered Starry Sky. I found out some things from Nicole. Are you in trouble now?”
Qin Lun’s eyes flickered. Strangely, Kelly not extending the invitation this time stirred a faint, unexpected feeling within him.
Actually, after this brush with death, Qin Lun’s inner thoughts had shifted slightly. He previously refused joining Lost because he felt it was unsuitable for him. The tighter the team’s unity, the less it could tolerate betrayal. Something like Qin Lun abandoning everyone in the Valley of the Undead to flee alone? That would never be forgiven in Lost.
However, the reality of Lost Team facing a dire situation with brave determination, never fracturing, had moved Qin Lun. Regardless of whether he appreciated such actions, in certain situations, their survival rate was higher than going alone.
Imagine if it was the Murderer Team – made up of Qin Lun and the other four Serial Killers – facing danger in the Valley of the Undead instead of Lost and Fortress. One could imagine that, without a prepared escape route, none of the Serial Killers would have volunteered to cover the retreat.
In other words, a Murderer Team could never fight wholeheartedly under any circumstances. Once encountering an unstoppable enemy, they would naturally disintegrate. They might boast a higher survival rate than Lost Team sometimes, but in situations demanding full commitment, their survival chance would be significantly lower.
Realizing this, Qin Lun’s resolve to avoid joining Lost wavered. He frowned slightly. It wasn’t surprising Kelly figured out he was in trouble back in the Shattered Starry Sky.
Qin Lun had once told Kelly he had companions. Yet he had sneaked off alone to join Fortress, seeking Sky Float’s protection. This naturally signaled troubles he couldn’t resolve alone.
“There is a little trouble, but I can manage!” Qin Lun replied lightly.
Actually, Nicole and Longer joining Lost indirectly hurt his position. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t report to Sky Float, but their credibility took a major hit now they’d switched alliances.
Moreover, Fortress Team suffered near annihilation in the Toril World, leaving only two survivors, with even their temporary Leader Stark dead. Qin Lun’s individual achievements seemed negligible against such a backdrop of failure.
Qin Lun understood this after escaping the battlefield using the Accompany Card. But he was pragmatic; if things got too bad, he’d just hold his nose and join Chaos. They prioritized people over principles—keeping a low profile meant preserving options for the future.
“You told me before, you still have other companions. I won’t force you into Lost; that’s not our way. However, Lost is willing to maintain a cooperative relationship with your team, as long as you join the ‘Order Front Alliance’,” Kelly said with a smile.
“Become a peripheral team for Lost, like Fortress was cooperating with Sky Float before?” Qin Lun’s mind stirred, immediately grasping Kelly’s implication.
This time, he didn’t reject the Female Martial Artist outright. Instead, he thought seriously. True, becoming a peripheral member of Lost offered a lot of freedom. Not only would it solve his current troubles, but like Nicole and the others, he could switch factions later.
While smelling of opportunistic fence-sitting, this was openly ignored by the three major Apostle Alliances in Devil’s Horn. After all, Apostles were accustomed to freedom; neutral teams were common. No one expected blind loyalty to such a loose alliance.
“I need to discuss it with the others. I can only give you an answer after we return!” Qin Lun met Kelly’s gaze and nodded slowly. Both he and Kelly knew this offer solved his immediate troubles, essentially granting him another favor.
After Qin Lun left, Robin and Lace entered the room.
“Kelly sis, why not keep him? I don’t remember you having any ‘no third invitation’ rule!” Lace shook Kelly’s arm, whining. “You were never this polite when ‘inviting’ people before. I remember you grabbing their collars and threatening them into joining!”
“Silly girl, that was the past. Your sister is much more… civilized now!” Kelly blushed, sticking her nose in the air and rolling her eyes fiercely. “Keep talking nonsense and I might just spank your butt!”
“…More civilized now? Still just as bossy as always,” Lace mumbled under her breath, pouting as she shrank to the side.
“Kelly, are you worried Qin Lun won’t fit Lost’s way?” Robin blinked thoughtfully. “True, his fleeing the battle in the Valley of the Undead was disappointing. But going back to rescue Milleras and the others in the Tower of Durlag shows he can develop teamwork awareness… Remember what Deputy Leader Morning Star used to be like?”
“No, that’s not it!” Kelly frowned slightly, pondering. “He is similar to Morning Star, yet different. Qin Lun seems to hold other secrets as well.”
“Other secrets? We Apostles all have our own secrets, don’t we?” Robin looked at Kelly curiously.
The Female Martial Artist’s intuition was famously sharp within the Lost Team. Even though many newcomers she recommended later proved disappointing, no one dared truly ignore Kelly’s instincts. Otherwise, Lost wouldn’t have sent Morning Star to test Qin Lun back then.
“It’s hard to explain,” Kelly chewed her fingernail, frowning. “Before, when I gave him pointers, it was mostly by video call. Not much real contact. In this world, though I didn’t see through his identity for so long, we had much more interaction… I always sensed an intense aura of danger around him, unstable… like a bomb with the safety pin pulled. One careless moment and it could cause irreparable harm to others!”
…
“Lorlin, stop being so sad. Didn’t Elder Loier tell you? You Dwarves never shirk duty. He fulfilled his responsibility, letting you survive. And you have your own mission now; don’t sink into despair!” Emily looked straight into the Dwarf’s dull eyes, speaking earnestly.
“But… I don’t know how. I’m not even fifty yet…” A flicker of light appeared in Lorlin’s eyes only to fade quickly, his face crumpling in misery.
“Fifty…” Emily managed to stop herself from commenting on Dwarf life spans, shaking her small head in exasperation.
“Lorlin, raise your head. You are not alone; Elder Loier is still watching you!” A gentle voice came from behind the two youths.
“Prince Firal?” Lorlin turned dazedly to look at Qin Lun behind him. “You said, Elder Loier…”
“Lorlin, remember Elder Loier’s last words to you?” Qin Lun asked seriously.
“He told me… to find Mithril Hall,” Lorlin mumbled, almost inaudibly, head bowed. “But I’m afraid I can’t fulfill such a huge responsibility…”
“Lorlin, forget Mithril Hall for now.” Qin Lun placed a hand on the Dwarf’s shoulder, shaking his head. “More than Mithril Hall, Elder Loier wanted you to begin your own Legendary journey. Success isn’t the key; what matters is that he is still watching!”
“Elder Loier… is waiting for… my Legend?” Lorlin murmured, a spark slowly igniting in his eyes. He rubbed his eyes fiercely and stood up from the living room floor. “Thank you, Prince Firal!”
“It’s nothing much,” Qin Lun replied with a faint smile.
“Where are you all heading?” Lorlin snapped back to reality, noticing Qin Lun wasn’t leaving alone. He was accompanied by Kelly, Robin, and the other mercenaries.
“We’re just… taking a walk,” Qin Lun’s eyes flickered, his tone meaningful. “We might be back very soon!”
