“Big Sis Rona isn't dead!”
“She must still be alive in those ruins!”
Luo Youyou waved her fists excitedly, her cat tail sticking straight up.
“Evidence?”
Elvia put down her bowl and asked calmly.
“You can't expect us to take your word for it.”
This question was like a needle that instantly punctured Luo Youyou's momentum.
She choked up all of a sudden, opening her mouth but unable to make a sound.
After a long time, she lowered her head dejectedly, her large cat ears drooping limply as her voice became low.
“I... I don't have any evidence...”
She rubbed her reddened eyes, trying hard to remember.
“About a month ago, a massive battle deep in the rift sent shockwaves that reached our temporary outpost at the time.”
“Taking advantage of the demons' diverted attention, Big Sis Rona wanted to lead the whole group out of the rift.”
“However, on the way back, we discovered an exposed high-purity magic crystal vein in a collapsed mining tunnel.”
A glimmer of light flashed in Luo Youyou's eyes.
“Big Sis Rona judged that the aftershocks of the Demon Lord's battle had shattered some rock layers, exposing an originally hidden passage.”
“You might not know, but during the Golden Age, the Withered Rift was famous for being home to countless hidden treasures and ancient ruins!”
“Big Sis Rona's family were originally founded on exploring the rift's ruins, so she is very familiar with the rift's history and legends.”
Her tone became tinged with urgency and helplessness.
“Big Sis Rona is a Mid-tier Transcendent swordsman, and she is already forty-five years old... her physiological functions passed their peak long ago, so simple diligent cultivation yields negligible results.”
“If she cannot make another breakthrough, her strength might stay stagnant here forever.”
“So... she decided to take a risk and enter that newly appeared secret passage to find any possible ancient treasures or inheritances that could help her break through.”
“To minimize her profile and avoid demons along the way, she had the rest of the party evacuate the rift first according to the original plan.”
“She only took the Vice Leader, Catherine—who is skilled in concealment magic—with her, agreeing that whether they succeeded or failed, they would definitely come out and regroup within ten days...”
Luo Youyou's voice choked with a sob, but it was quickly replaced by a wave of intense fury.
“But in the end... only Catherine came back!”
“She brought what she claimed to be Big Sis Rona's broken sword and a piece of blood-stained, shattered leather armor, telling everyone that Big Sis Rona had sacrificed herself to lead away an ancient guard that had suddenly awakened while covering her retreat...”
“That is an absolute lie!”
Luo Youyou snapped her head up, her eyes nearly spitting fire, her tail fur bristling, and her sharp nails extending uncontrollably.
“That woman Catherine!”
“She has always tried every possible way to obstruct Big Sis Rona!”
“Big Sis Rona wanted to lead the Dreamweaver party to open a new Golden Route and head toward the Royal Capital to develop and find greater opportunities.”
“But Catherine just wouldn't have it!”
“She couldn't bear to lose her pathetic status and influence in Caran City, and even more, she couldn't bear to leave behind those few male favorites she keeps in Caran!”
“She just wants to rule over her own little domain and throw her weight around!”
“It must be her!”
“It must be that she made a move against Big Sis Rona in the ruins!”
Luo Youyou grew more and more furious as she spoke, her pointed cat ears twitching with excitement.
She kept cursing those “ungrateful” and “heartless” people in the party.
“After that, I wanted to sneak back and look for her myself, but I was stopped by them!”
“Those people!”
“If it weren't for Big Sis Rona's kindness in taking them in and teaching them, they would have been devoured long ago by those heartless monsters in the Adventurer's Guild until not even their bones remained!”
Luo Youyou's chest was still heaving violently after she finished venting.
Only then did Elvia ask calmly.
“So, you came to us?”
“What price can you pay?”
Luo Youyou took a deep breath as if she had made up her mind, untied a small, heavy-looking bag from her waist, and placed it on the ground.
“I can pay 1,250 gold coins, as well as... ownership of my person.”
Having said that, she actually pulled a collar shimmering with a dull metallic luster from the bag.
It was exactly the notorious type of slave collar that was almost impossible to remove by oneself once put on.
She knelt on the ground, her voice carrying desperate pleas.
“I'm begging you... at least, at least let me see for myself whether Big Sis Rona is alive or dead...”
1,250 gold coins, plus a Mid-tier High Rank cat-girl demi-human.
Elvia looked at Lin Gui and analyzed the situation in a flat tone.
“Straying from the safe Golden Route to go deep into unknown, dangerous ruins is extremely risky.”
“Personally, I do not suggest accepting this commission.”
“Besides, we've only known her for a short time; who knows if this cat-girl is lying?”
“It might even be a play directed and performed by the Dreamweaver party themselves to lure us in and rob us.”
Luo Youyou knelt on the ground and did not get angry at Elvia's sharp questioning; she only lowered her head even further.
She knew that in the world of adventurers, such caution and suspicion were the norm.
Indeed, under normal circumstances, Lin Gui would absolutely never accept such a field commission that was clearly off the route and filled with unknown risks.
However...
He looked at the Special Commission prompt on the system panel in his field of vision and asked silently.
“System, if the commission target, Rona, were already dead, what would happen to this commission?”
【Ding! The system will automatically retrieve the status of the commission target. Once it is confirmed that the target has lost physiological functions, the corresponding commission will be automatically invalidated and removed.】
Lin Gui's eyes moved slightly.
In other words, Rona was indeed still alive.
【Correct.】
In that case...
Lin Gui looked at Luo Youyou kneeling on the ground and spoke.
“Fine, I will help you.”
These simple words caused Theia, Elvia, and even Luo Youyou kneeling on the ground to freeze.
None of them had expected Lin Gui to agree so readily.
Stopping Elvia from trying to voice her objection, Lin Gui added to the stunned Luo Youyou.
“However, my help is limited to my personal actions.”
Luo Youyou was dazed, her cat ears twitching in confusion.
“But... but you're only a Low-tier High Rank mage...”
The corner of Lin Gui's mouth curled into an imperceptible arc as he shook the staff in his hand.
“By the time we find your sister, I might be a Mid-tier High Rank mage.”
He stood up, picked up his staff, and said to Theia and Elvia.
“I'll handle this as a personal action.”
“Since I'm the one who agreed, I'll bear the risks and rewards alone.”
He leaned over, picked up the bag of gold coins from the ground, weighed it, and stuffed it into the pocket of his mage robe.
As for that cold slave collar, he gently kicked it into the crack of the nearby wooden box with his toe.
“I've taken the money, but forget about the cat-girl.”
“I have no interest in dragging a cat-girl into a mess.”
“Wait!”
Elvia hurried forward to stop him.
“You're planning to go alone?!”
Lin Gui paused and nodded as if it were a matter of course.
“That's right.”
“Since I'm the one who agreed, I should naturally bear the risks and rewards alone.”
“But!”
“But!”
Elvia was so angry she was practically jumping.
“Who the hell cares whether you live or die!”
“What I mean is that if you die, I'll also die from the poison!”
“Uh...”
Lin Gui was momentarily speechless; he really had almost forgotten the part where he had infected Elvia with the Demon's Poisonous Kiss.
Seeing this, a glimmer of expectation flashed in Elvia's eyes as she asked tentatively.
“How about... you cure my poison before you leave?”
“That is impossible,” Lin Gui answered decisively.
“.......”
“Then take me with you.”
At this point, Theia also stepped forward, giving Lin Gui a gentle smile.
“Let's all go together, Lin Gui.”
“Although I don't understand why you accepted this commission, I won't let you face the danger alone.”
Her blood-red eyes carried sincerity.
“We're friends, aren't we?”
“In Caran, you also came to rescue me when I was caught and thrown into prison.”
Lin Gui subconsciously defended himself.
“I was also captured by them by accident...”
Theia tilted her head, her smile cunning as she pressed further.
“Then, if given the chance and you learned I was in danger, would you come to rescue me?”
“Of course I would,” Lin Gui answered bluntly.
However, he paused and then seriously added another sentence.
“On the condition that it isn't so dangerous as to directly threaten my life.”
The smile on Theia's face instantly blossomed upon hearing those words, like an Udumbara flower blooming in the dark, intoxicatingly beautiful.
“That's good enough.”
“Is it really okay?”
“This commission doesn't have any actual reward for you guys,” Lin Gui asked hesitantly.
Theia pointed at the bag of gold coins Lin Gui had stuffed into his pocket, her smile bright as a flower.
“Isn't it right there?”
“Over a thousand gold coins!”
“How many ordinary commissions would I have to do to earn that much!”
Rate on N.U.
