“What information?” Grant, whose mood was initially unbalanced, blurted out.
Rand smiled and didn’t answer immediately. He picked up his glass and took a small sip. At the crucial moment, he just clammed up.
“Ten thousand Shattered Crystals per person, except Lili!” Hill and Qin Lun exchanged glances, then said with a bitter smile.
“You and Qin Lun pay ten thousand. Grant pays thirty thousand!” Hansen, who had been silent, looked at everyone and added in a low voice.
“Fine!” The Clown looked thoughtfully at Qin Lun and Hill. He actually suppressed his hot temper and calmly accepted this seemingly unfair deal.
As for Lili… someone who leaned on powerful allies knew their role. This “beauty” tagging along into the Quest World fully understood being cannon fodder. Small advantages like this were their usual perks.
Watching the unusually calm Clown, Silva, who was sitting nearby, showed a flicker of understanding in his eyes. He had entered this Quest World with Hansen and Rand, so he naturally understood why Hansen made this arrangement.
The reason was simple: Qin Lun and Hill had already encountered the Death Hunting Mission. Among the five Serial Killers, only the Clown Grant was the sole Apostle who hadn’t yet encountered Superstring Reincarnators. This information held different value for the three of them. Grant was the one who needed it most, so naturally, his price was higher.
Honestly, Silva, who had a decent education, had somewhat looked down on these Serial Killers before actually interacting with them. An international thief was a high-IQ criminal; this “Handsome Guy” believed that once his combat ability reached a certain level, he wouldn’t need to rely on a few Serial Killers.
However, after entering a few Quest Worlds with The Disciple and Shepherd, he completely changed his mind. Even if other captives left the major Serial Killers for various reasons, he was determined to stick with the powerful allies. Perhaps the only one he wasn’t fully convinced by yet was Grant.
The Clown’s reputation in the Earth Federation mostly came from his perverse behavior, not his smarts. Yet Silva didn’t realize that in today’s Earth Federation, where even a bathroom stall might be under camera surveillance, Grant’s ability to roam free for years under a Federation-wide manhunt spoke of some remarkable capability.
“Shattered Starry Sky and Superstring Space can both access the past and present of the river of history, but not the future that hasn’t begun,” Rand finally continued when the deal was sealed. “But different from what we understood before, maintaining world peace isn’t always Superstring Space’s role, nor are the invaders and disruptors necessarily Shattered Starry Sky!”
Rand’s gaze held deep meaning. After speaking, he paused, giving the others time to digest it.
“Firecracker, you mean… Shattered Starry Sky protects Shadow Worlds at certain times?” Qin Lun reacted swiftly. After brief thought, he asked with some doubt. Simultaneously, Hill and Grant also grasped the implication during his question.
“Hehe, yes. Shadow Worlds, detached from the main world’s river of history, are the most sumptuous feast for Shattered Starry Sky. For Superstring Space, the Space-Time Manager, a Shadow World is a derailed existence. Unlike the main world, it wasn’t originally under its control.”
Rand laughed. “Before Superstring Space could reassert control, a newborn Shadow World is like a helpless infant, laid bare before Star Void. Shattered Starry Sky can invade it before Superstring Space can, turning it into its home turf. In fact, a Shadow World controlled by Star Void has the vast potential to overthrow the main world, allowing Star Void to completely absorb the World Origin of the entire spacetime. In such a world, Superstring Space becomes the invader, trying to destroy the Shadow World, forcing it back into the main flow of the time stream. That’s the very purpose of the Space-Time Manager.”
“Did you obtain information about conflict between Shattered Starry Sky and Superstring Space in your last Quest World?” Hill suddenly inquired quietly.
Hansen and Rand smiled silently. People capable of being their companions were indeed extraordinary. Whether it was Qin Lun, Hill, or even Grant, whose thoughts were a step slower, all could pierce through the tangled information to find the truth.
Correct. Hansen and Rand had explained so much because it was the groundwork for that crucial piece of intelligence: the upcoming next Spatial War between Shattered Starry Sky and Superstring Space.
“We learned from that Reincarnator that the Superstring Space they belonged to, designated XF3, was about to invade certain Low Magic Worlds that Shattered Starry Sky had controlled to a certain degree. They called it a low-intensity Spatial War!”
Rand’s expression uncharacteristically turned serious. “In exchange for letting him go, he risked deletion by his space to tell us: low-level Apostles and Reincarnators like us, who perform outstandingly and consistently receive good ratings, are the most likely to be sent into such wars of attrition.”
A Survival of the Fittest War! Everyone present grasped the meaning. So-called low-intensity wars were precisely the best opportunities to select outstanding low-level Apostles – a balance of danger and opportunity, survival of the fittest. Both Shattered Starry Sky and Superstring Space would fully commit their most promising soldiers.
“Star Void has so many Apostles, our chances of being chosen…” Grant mumbled hesitantly, then quickly frowned. “How many Shadow Worlds are being invaded?”
His face was now repaired, not quite so ugly. Though the Clown’s aesthetic was always unique; he hadn’t given himself eyebrows, and his forehead muscles were knotted, which looked extremely odd.
“Many. Low Magic main worlds might be unaffected, but half of Star Void-controlled Low Magic Shadow Worlds will be invaded.” Hansen’s tone was somber. “The Shadow World Rand and I experienced is part of the first batch. If it hadn’t been our familiar home turf of the Earth Federation this time, the ones to fail could very well have been us.”
The others nodded gravely, especially Qin Lun and Hill, who were reminded of their original Phantom Demon World adventure.
Actually, their smooth progress in the Phantom Demon World back then, where Hill even obtained the Soul-Sucking Bracelet, was partly because Star Void was the invader. Sometimes, being on the attacking side brought asymmetric advantages.
When they first entered that Quest World, the Reincarnator team was completely off-guard against him and Hill. If the main objectives hadn’t been unclear at the time, they could have ambushed and killed those newbie Reincarnators anytime. Even when following Matthew, Jote, and Junko, they had chances to directly scheme against those three Veterans.
“Rand and I have already experienced one external war. The gains were huge. We probably won’t be assigned to such Quest Worlds again soon. You, however, need to be careful. Try partnering up or at least finding a temporary cannon fodder team!” Hansen flipped his eyelid indifferently, his voice utterly flat. “That’s essentially it. Remember to send the intel fee after we get back.”
…
Emerging from the Golden Chalice, Qin Lun was walking back to his villa. Approaching his gate, he spotted a squad of heavily armed Elven guards heading towards the villa.
He looked closely, then smiled and walked forward to meet them.
“Adeline? That you?” Qin Lun waved to the leading Elven girl.
Adeline Maria wore black leather armor and a vine-leaf battle skirt, with an absurdly oversized Elven longbow on her back. Seeing Qin Lun, the Elven girl’s expression became complicated. After a moment of silence, she bowed.
“Uncle Qin Lun, Father ordered me to bring you something!”
“Uncle?” Hearing that term almost made Qin Lun suffocate. His chest heaved a few times as he struggled to adjust his breathing, then he stared at the Elven girl with a strange look. “Your father and I are friends, true. But Elves don’t place much importance on seniority in titles like that, surely? You don’t need to use that term!”
“We Moonlit Elves, because of our long lives and inheritances, indeed don’t emphasize seniority much,” Adeline met Qin Lun’s gaze, sounding both aggrieved and resigned. “But… towards a guardian, junior courtesies must be shown! I haven’t reached the age for the Adult Ceremony yet. Father has shared my guardianship rights… with you.”
“That’s allowed?” Qin Lun opened his mouth, unsure what to say. But he soon asked suspiciously, “I’m an Apostle, not a Moonlit Elf. That guardianship can’t be official, right?”
“Yes, it is! You are an Apostle, but your bloodline is indeed from the Moonlit Elves. Moreover, you originated from a World Tree Fruit Father possessed. Strictly speaking, you could be considered his brother. Father also notified the Council of Elders to put this decision on record. So… whether you agree or not, we now have a guardian-ward relationship. Got it, Uncle!!!”
Here, Adeline glared fiercely at Qin Lun, heavily emphasizing the word “Uncle.”
“Cough cough…” Qin Lun lowered his head, hiding the awkward expression behind his hand. He muttered a curse about Mafa under his breath, then smiled, “Come in first. These others…”
“You may return. The items are delivered here; there shouldn’t be further issues.” Adeline seemed to be in a rather foul mood. Without expression, she waved off the Elven guards behind her. Then, taking a wooden box, she followed Qin Lun into the villa.
Seated on the sofa, looking at the stiff-faced Adeline, Qin Lun felt truly at a loss for words for the first time. After all he’d experienced, he understood the ways of the world far better now. But… being an uncle?!
“Father wanted me to give this to you. It’s the deal between the Lost Team and the Moonlit Elves.” Seeming to sense Qin Lun’s awkwardness, Adeline’s expression softened slightly, though her tone remained less than friendly. Understandable; anyone suddenly learning they were under a stranger’s guardianship would likely be displeased.
“Oh?” Qin Lun’s eyes lit up at the wooden box on the table. This should be the top-grade Artifact Spirit Kelly had promised him. Unexpectedly, it took two weeks to arrive.
He opened the box. An emerald-green seed, vibrant with life energy, rested quietly in the center, cushioned on a thick embroidered cloth.
“This is Ayala, descendant of Fernand,” Adeline said, looking at the walnut-sized seed with a touch of emotion. “Ayala… failed to reach legendary status, degenerated back to primitive form. In a sense, it has already lost its self-awareness. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be given to you as an Artifact Spirit.”
“Fernand… You mean that Treant who helped test my body earlier?” Qin Lun thought briefly and recalled the gigantic “banyan tree” he’d seen in the Moonlight Forest.
Fernand Treant’s aerial roots produced a hallucinogenic gas. It could put Apostles into a semi-lucid state, making them visualize the most suitable testing environment in their minds. This helped new Apostles assess their physical attributes.
