Qin Lun walked toward the three with a slightly surprised smile. “Hill, Rand, Grant? You’ve been waiting here for me?”
Shepherd Hill chuckled in reply. “Heh, we just made a trip to the Auction House. We weren’t specifically waiting for you. It might feel like ages since you just got back from a Quest World. But really, it’s been barely over an hour since you left Shattered Starry Sky for the mission.”
Firecracker Rand looked Qin Lun over carefully, his eyes gleaming. “So? Everything go smoothly?”
“Not exactly,” Qin Lun shook his head, glancing around. “The outsiders from Sky Float I joined were nearly wiped out. The last two Apostles joined the Lost Team. Speaking of, where’s Hansen?”
Grant answered gruffly, “The Disciple took ‘Beauty’ and ‘Handsome Guy’ to keep watch at your Villa. Since the remaining members of Fortress joined another squad, their Sky Float report won’t be reliable anymore, right? What’s your next move, Qin Lun?”
“Beauty? Handsome Guy? Lili and Silva!” Two faces flashed in Qin Lun’s mind.
Like the five Serial Killers, Lili and Silva had entered Shattered Starry Sky as prisoners. Lili had even accompanied Qin Lun on a Quest World—the World War II World—alongside Grant and Little Lian.
Lili used to be transgender—male body, female identity. But that label no longer applied. Apostles could reshape their bodies in Shattered Starry Sky, and Lili was now fully female biologically. At the first prisoner gathering, her transformation earned her the nickname “Beauty” from fellow convicts.
Of the dozen prisoners who’d entered with the five Serial Killers, Little Lian and Lin Feng had followed the beautiful doctor Hu Fei to another Apostle City. They hadn’t stayed in touch with Qin Lun.
After several Quest Worlds, some prisoners died while others disappeared—either perishing on missions or joining other teams to distance themselves from the Serial Killers.
An Apostle’s Soul Sigil number was private. If someone wanted to erase their past, a new appearance would make them untraceable.
Now, only Lili and Silva remained willing to follow the Serial Killers.
Truthfully, these two had shared the most missions with the killers. Besides accompanying Qin Lun and Grant once, Lili had teamed twice with Hansen.
Silva had completed about five Quest Worlds—twice with Shepherd Hill and once with Firecracker Rand.
Diego Silva came from a fallen noble family. He’d become an international thief targeting valuables and jewels. Impeccably educated and handsome, his fellow prisoners dubbed him “Handsome Guy.”
Neither Silva nor Lili were like other Federal Zone 91 death row inmates. Lili wasn’t innocent—she became a convict after accidentally killing two people during an assault—but her death sentence was a wrongful conviction.
Silva’s bad luck struck when stealing from a Federation official involved in bribery. To silence him, the official sent Silva to Federal Zone 91.
“Lost? The Lost Team of Devil’s Horn?” Shepherd Hill frowned, stroking his chin. “You encountered another Apostle City’s major team on your last mission?”
Bitterly Qin Lun replied, “Yes, that very Lost Team… The details are complicated. I stayed nearly two months there. Let’s find somewhere to talk. Call Hansen back too—I need to discuss things with everyone.”
…
Inside the private room of “Golden Chalice Tavern”—a regular spot for prisoners in Devil’s Horn’s entertainment district—the five Serial Killers gathered with Lili and Silva.
Shepherd Hill pondered aloud, “So Sky Float Team likely won’t take you anymore, leaving only the Lost Team as an option?”
“Correct,” Qin Lun said calmly. “Their deputy leader approached me before. But tight-knit big teams are easy to join, hard to leave. I declined her back then.”
“You ran into them again in Toril?”
“Not entirely coincidence. Now…”
“And?” Hansen pressed the moment he entered.
“Not yet,” Qin Lun lowered his eyelids. “I told her I have my own team—I can’t decide alone. She was disappointed but offered to let our team join Lost as outside helpers. Hence I wanted to discuss with you all.”
Silence fell as the group digested this.
After a long pause, Hill finally spoke carefully, “With your servant captured by Chaos’ people now, you must pick between Chaos or Lost. Yet your tone suggests you prefer Lost? Why the change?”
“Indeed,” Grant rumbled. “Our style seems better suited for Chaos. Leaving later would carry less backlash.”
“Not quite,” Qin Lun chose his words. “Chaos seems to know about me somehow. Joining them likely won’t leave us as free outsiders like yours. With your abilities, they’d value you highly eventually—good for initial growth, but…”
“When you take resources, leaving demands payback tenfold!” Rand finished gravely. “So Chaos isn’t ideal. But… Lost? Joining as outside support could be freer?”
“Based on talks, yes.” Qin Lun gave a half smile. “I refused Lost earlier because they know my background. I never expected them to offer outsider roles.”
“Fine,” Shepherd Hill exchanged looks with the others. “Join Lost in our name for now. But we… won’t officially link with them until after the next Quest World.”
“After next mission?” Qin Lun’s eyebrows lifted.
Hill chuckled. “You forgot? You used the synchro-timer back-to-back for two missions. This return gives you a month’s buffer. The rest of us serve our next mission in half a month!”
“Spare the soft talk, Hill.” Hansen’s voice cut coldly. “Qin Lun, you’re hiding things. A half-month gap lets us decide properly without being dragged into your mess. Using our names? That’s one favor owed.”
“Alright.” Qin Lun spread his hands helplessly. These crafty killers wouldn’t be swayed easily.
He’d implied that rejecting Lost would force him to join as a full member—but Kelly hadn’t offered full membership, only outside membership. Plainly, Hansen and the others only half-believed him, demanding two weeks to investigate Lost’s outsiders.
Once their discussions ended, the group left Qin Lon alone in the room.
Qin Lun drank lightly in solitude until his glass emptied. Determination flashed in his eyes as he rose and activated the Projector. “Kelly? My team agrees—your offer of outside support for Lost.”
Kelly’s face appeared promptly. “Correction: you’ll now support Order Front, using Lost’s name as partners. Devil’s Horn’s three Apostle Alliances run outside teams similarly. First, you gain access to Demiplane Trading Floor perks plus Lost’s protection in city disputes. But…”
“Monthly fees: five thousand Shattered Crystal per person for a five-member Black Iron Team. Yes, you must help Lost scout recruits—like when you temporarily joined Fortress. Also, Lost can recruit from your team if willing, no obstruction permitted.”
“Sounds fair.” Qin Lun’s eyes sparked. He now recognized Kelly’s plan: luring others into Lost first to eventually capture him fully. Shame the Serial Killers wouldn’t bite easily.
Five thousand Shattered Crystal monthly? Peanuts. These killers handled two missions monthly even slowing to 1.5 tasks. But Qin Lun would cover fees alone until others officially joined.
“Good,” Kelly leaned closer curiously. “Now… what’s the current trouble you mentioned?”
After Qin Lon explained, Kelly shook with laughter. “Haha! That Chaos Team ‘Invitation Letter’ you distributed during Metropolis Domination War backfired! You gave ours away then—now karma bites!”
Catching her breath, she raised her chin confidently. “Don’t sweat it. Now that you’re tied to us, I’ll warn the Chaos jerks. They won’t risk war by forcibly recruiting you. Otherwise…” Her grin turned fierce. “This Female Martial Artist will personally show them exactly why flowers stay so red!”
