Xu Mo’s mind momentarily blanked as he watched Wan Qianhong give such a solemn bow.
Wait, who? How did this turn into a debt of gratitude?
Wan Qianhong straightened up and cast a lingering, fearful look at the horrifying mass grave below. She murmured to herself, “Who knows how many years this has been accumulating... If all these victims had truly been transformed into aberrations...”
“That scene... I don’t even want to imagine it.”
“All of Dawn City would have turned into a living hell, and you... you prevented it all from happening.”
With a sigh, she looked at “Bai Feifei” and said, “I will report your achievements truthfully. My previous misunderstandings of you, and those charges against you... you’ve truly suffered a great injustice.”
Her tone made it sound as if Xu Mo had been some long-suffering hero bearing a heavy burden in silence.
Even Bai Feifei, within his mind, spoke to him with total sincerity: “Thank you.”
Xu Mo: ...
Wasn't he supposed to be an Evil God? Why was he suddenly getting all these 'good person' points?
His mouth twitched, and he spoke with a hint of exasperation.
“...Honestly, I didn’t think that much of it before I killed them, but if that’s how you want to see it, fine.”
“Just remember to have the Lord of Dawn City come kowtow to me later.”
Wan Qianhong couldn't help but smile. She was starting to get used to “Bai Feifei’s” sudden bouts of mental instability; she even found it somewhat endearing.
“Alright, you should wrap up the cleanup here. Once this hidden threat is handled, we can move on,” Xu Mo told Wan Qianhong. As he stepped aside, a notification suddenly popped up on the game panel in his field of vision:
【Special Storyline Triggered: Mystery of the Black Smoke Coal Mine.】
【Current Completion: 30%.】
【Note: The secrets beneath the Black Smoke Coal Mine are more than just crimes; there is a wondrous existence beyond human expectation.】
【Storyline Completion Reward: Pending.】
Xu Mo was surprised. Oh? He’d actually triggered a special storyline!
If not for the panel’s reminder, he would have almost forgotten this game feature.
Old Ones' Awakening was an open-world game. Generally speaking, there were no main quests that players were forced to complete; it was all about self-exploration.
However, at certain times, special events—like this one—would trigger reminders for the player.
In the past, Xu Mo hadn't bothered much with such things. He preferred the thrill of combat over piecing together lore.
But this time, through a series of coincidences, he had averted a potential aberration outbreak and exposed a member of the Huang family carrying an aberration potion.
This level of plot progression had likely been judged by the game as a significant boost to completion, thus triggering the special storyline.
“A simple starter zone like the Black Smoke Coal Mine can actually trigger a special storyline...”
“Stopping that tide of aberrations and preventing the mine from falling only gave me thirty percent.”
“It seems the thing buried underground—the thing I could never find—is of a truly high grade.”
“What could it be? It’d be a shame if Bai Feifei’s weak body can’t handle taking it.”
Standing in the corner alone, Xu Mo pondered to himself, feeling a strange surge of excitement. He even let out a low, villainous chuckle.
He still didn't know what the treasure down there was, but maybe... just maybe, this would be the time he found out!
Moreover, he was almost certain that even the Inner City people involved in the aberration potion scheme didn't truly know what was down there!
“...What are you laughing at?”
In his mind, Bai Feifei was startled by Xu Mo’s abnormally creepy laughter and couldn't help but ask.
“Nothing. Your luck is pretty good. If we actually pull this off, your starting run will be absolutely legendary.”
“Next, I’ll have to get a bit more serious!”
Bai Feifei: ...
So you’ve just been playing around this whole time?
While Xu Mo was fantasizing about a bright future, Wan Qianhong and the others were busy with the cleanup.
All these remains had to be dealt with. Who knew how many bastards were in the Inner City Action Team? If another person with a potion came by after they left, all their hard work would be for nothing.
However, disposing of such a massive number of corpses was a daunting task.
Yang Shuo was the first to offer a constructive suggestion: burn them!
Cremating the countless remains in a collective funeral would serve as a way to put their souls to rest.
Wan Qianhong immediately told the muscle-brained idiot to get lost. This entire area was a coal mine, and he wanted to use fire?!
Did he really want to light a whole mountain like a birthday candle?
In the end, the East District Scavengers chose to use “heavy water” to temporarily manage the situation.
Heavy water was a product developed by the Scavengers. It was a mixture of water, silver powder, and other substances that could block anomalous energy and delay aberrations.
Due to the sheer size of the area, they could only pour down a thin layer before replacing the massive cover and sealing the edges with more heavy water.
Finally, a few Scavengers were left behind as guards to report back to Wan Qianhong at any time.
Once everything was done, many Scavengers pressed their hands together in solemn prayer, offering a moment of silence for the victims who had died so unjustly.
During this process, Xu Mo didn't rush to return control of the body to Bai Feifei. Instead, he leaned against the edge with his arms crossed, coldly observing everyone present.
Suddenly, amidst the silence, he spoke up.
“Hey, you. Wu Xin, right? You look pretty pale. What’s wrong?”
Wu Xin’s expression was dark. He kept his head down and remained silent, lost in thought.
Hearing “Bai Feifei” suddenly call his name, his body jerked as if he’d been jolted awake. He quickly looked up.
Like someone caught in the act, he forced a strained smile onto his face.
“I... heh... I’m just junior. I haven’t seen much, you know?”
“Seeing all those corpses just now... it really rattled me.”
It was a perfectly reasonable explanation.
“Oh. Then you really are a coward,” Xu Mo shrugged, offering no face whatsoever.
Wu Xin: ...
Seeing the atmosphere grow awkward, Wan Qianhong intervened.
“Alright, those staying behind, remember to report in a timely manner.”
“The rest of us need to keep moving. Wu Xin? Use your ability.”
Wu Xin curled his lip and said, “Maybe you all should discuss where to go first.”
“I don't want to use my ability and take the backlash only for you guys to ignore me...”
Before he could finish, a blur flashed before Wu Xin’s eyes. A dagger was suddenly pressed against his throat.
Wu Xin: !!?
Rate on N.U.
