Chapter 11: Congregation Of Three Separate Groups

Returning back to the cave where Xin resides.

As if sensing something unknown to the young lady resting leisurely near the walls of the cave, the large serpent lifted its head to face the direction of the cavern entrance. Glassy yellow pupils enlarge and shrink as its long forked tongue tastes the particles in the air.

"Something wrong?" Noticing the strangeness in its actions, Xin Yue asked the serpent carefully while placing the bitten apple to the side. Residues of its sweet nectar still glistened on the corner of cherry lips which tether on the verge of dripping down. 

The creature threw a side glance at the oblivious child before lying back down in indolence. Refusing to answer her questions, it turned away to circle around the nest of eggs in silence. Perhaps the only sign of its unrest is its constant tapping of its tail against the ground.

Xin Yue: "… …"

The feeling of being ignored is extremely pitiful, especially when you know the other party is intelligent enough to communicate.

Pouting to herself as though a child upset at not getting the toy she wanted, Xin Yue took out the small wooden mirror hung around her neck. Gleaming with a faint silver hue, this intricate wooden item has a beautiful design of magnolias carved into its redwood body.

Like the flowers carved into the wood itself a light fragrance of drifting magnolias can be detected emitting off its thin frame. The soothing mildness of this fragrance is akin to a layering of gentleness presented on a tranquil night. Wrapping around her skin as if willing itself to seep through.

Positioned in the middle of this wooden framework is a reflective surface that defines its name. A fatigued pair of pupils gazes dispassionately back at the woman on the other side. Messy strands of hair tangle and clings onto the side of her face stained by splashes of mud and clumps of grass. Red scratches that ranged from her face to her neck and all the way down to her legs left a startling view on her porcelain skin. Akin to an abandoned puppy worn and tattered by the wakings of life, the Xin Yue right now exudes a pitiful aura that beckons people to protect. 

But fortunately, due to the nutritious meals given to her by the compassion of the cave's owner. The paleness presented on her skin blanketed with a faint pink glow. 

"Why isn't anything showing up?" 

The mirror which is supposed to serve as means of communication between her and The Old Man On The Moon has not had any reactions. Contrary to what he said, no matter how much she calls. Whether loudly or in a soft voice, even knocking on it with her knuckles held no results. 

"It's not broken is it?" Murmuring under her breath, obsidian irises glare at the innocent reflector with a kindling flame.

_____

"Brother Xiao!" Hiding her daggers away, Xiao Mei ran toward the approaching figure of the stoic Xiao Fanyu. Eyes flashing in resemblances to the blinking of starry stars, the young woman's flush expression soon turned stiff following the passing of his slender figure.

Without so much as a glance, sounds of crunching ice rang out in accompaniment to the steps of the youth. The swarm of snakes that was giving them so much trouble moments ago have now turned into a pile of ice sculptures. Laying on the ground like abandoned twigs on the forest floor, they crumble and break under the pressure of each firm step.

Approaching the area now void of any predators, Xiao Fanyu easily plucked the precious fruit away from the grasp of the tree. 

Round and gleaming with fresh droplets of morning dew the fruit about the size of his palm sits quietly in wait for its fate.

A transparent screen instantly appears in midair with the item's information written.

[Devil's Obsession]

[An object that puts on the appearance of a harmless fruit.]

[Many eons ago, a devil fell in love with a human being who didn't reciprocate its affections. The feeling of envy and anger at a love that couldn't become its own has caused that devil to drown in madness. Taking on the appearance of a fruit that that human was fond of, the devil waited for the day when that human would consume and devour him whole.]

[Feed it to the target of your infatuation and they will be yours for all eternity.]

[Unavailable to be purchased in the system store.]

"Brother Xiao!" Running breathlessly over to Xiao Fanyu, Xiao Mei flashed the young man an embarrassed smile while curling the ends of her hair around her finger. "That..." Looking down on the ground, the tip of her toes dug into the top layer of soil as her voice flowed with sweetness. "Thank you for saving me…" Tilting her head a little to the side her eyes lock onto the alluring prize on the palm of his hand in anticipation. 

"… …" Rolling the ominous fruit around the palm of his hand, Xiao Fanyu wordlessly kept it within the slot of his inventory. Slanting a glance at the woman beside him, he turned to regroup with the teammates behind. "Proceed." The man ordered in a cold voice, "enough with the distractions." 

These words were clearly directed at the person who caused this mess, Xiao Mei. But it is as though she couldn't understand the meaning behind those words. Matching her strides to his she continued to speak, "Brother Xiao, what kind of fruit is that? Is it the stamina fruit from the store?"

Pushing a strand of loose hair behind her ears she proceeded, "Brother Xiao is so amazing, just one attack is enough to take care of all those snakes. Not like me, I don't have the strength to finish the fight as quickly…" Sight flitting back and forth from his face to his empty hands, the young woman pursued with a slight pout. "Brother Xiao, about that fruit…."

"Cipher, lead the way." Zhitao said while pushing himself into the space between the two of them. 

Cutting her off before the sentence managed to conclude, the two other men tactfully formed a loose circle around their leader.

"I'll open the path."

"We've gone a little off, the trail leads over there."

"Ah~ It was so close, just twenty more seconds to five minutes."

"Wait, I haven't finish…."

Just like that, the four of them rapidly left the devastation of the frost covered zone in search for the owner of those prints.

_____

"Someone is coming." 

"Ah?!" Looking up in surprise, Xin Yue released the mirror from the flames and dropped it onto the ground. Its unblemished body is still intact and glimmering with a shine unlike items that had been placed in the heat of embers.  "Who's coming?" She has been here for a while and not even a shadow of a person was seen.

The large serpent lifted its head toward the entrance of the cave. Letting its forked tongue out to taste the air, beady pupils constrict with a menacing flash of danger before lowering. "Not sure, but many and dangerous." 

"Okay. What should I do?" Xin Yue placed the mirror away as she brushed the layer of dirt off her dress while standing up.

Bewildered by her unexpected question, the snake blinked its yellow eyes at the young woman waiting for instructions. "You want to help?" Unsure of why this human child is planning on helping, the serpent asked with mild confusion. "Why?" Aren't every one of you humans selfish and cowardly?

"What do you mean why? You helped me before so it's fair for it to be my turn, that's how we become equals!" Rather than meeting up with suspicious people carrying unknown agendas, she would rather take the side of this seemingly scary but kind snake instead. Don't ask if this snake really is that generous. It doesn't matter because letting her live and providing her food is enough for Xin Yue to think of this creature as a friend. 

"Equals?" An unfamiliar concept to hear for a monster. Tilting its head to the side, the owner of the cavern pondered for a moment while staring at the young woman beaming with a wide smile. A few minutes passed until it lowered its sight. "What do you suggest?"

"Umm… for now, how about I go outside first to check on the situation? It would be best if they are only passing through. We can think from there afterwards if they are not."

"Alright…."

A few miles away from the cave, a group of burly men dressed in fur grunted and bellowed with raucous laughter as they grew closer to their destination. 

"Ahahahaha! Boss! The mission this time is definitely going to be a breeze!"

"That's right! With those points, us brothers can finally enjoy ourselves to our hearts content! Maybe we'll even get enough points to bid this shitty place a lasting farewell!"

The entire group of bandits have gathered today for the sake of this special request. Each one of them laugh and banter with one another lacking even an ounce of worry over this easy mission. Stealing a nest of eggs, how hard could it be? Is what everyone is thinking.

However, only the leader and second in command of the group thought differently, "what are your thoughts on this, Boss?" The second in command asked in a low voice only loud enough for the two of them to hear.

The leader took a second to arrange his thoughts, "maybe more than half of us will die here today."

"?! So many?!" For their leader to say so with such confidence, it would only mean that this mission is not as simple as he had told them it'll be.

But before he can inquire even further, the leader of the bandits did first, "although more than half of us will die today, I'll do my best to make sure you're the small percentage that remains alive."

In that moment that was all the second in command needed to hear, his and the leader's survival. Everything else is only extra baggage. "Understood."

On the way to the location marked on the map, many valuable items and fruits were found hanging on trees with no one to claim. Many of the members wanted to claim them for themselves only to be obstructed by a swift glare of their boss. Therefore, the trip was made efficiently and much faster than they first anticipated. 

"We're almost there, I can see an opening!" 

An opening in the thick forestry reveals the landscape of a huge lake with the entrance of an equally wide cavern located in the middle. Along the broad expanse of space stood a figure in the middle of the lake. Wearing a cloak over what seems to be the plain white dress of a newbie player, the woman's black tresses blew in accordance to the wind.

"Hi~ big brothers and uncles." The young woman greeted with a tug of her lips, "are you lost perhaps?" Tilting her head a little to the side, the smile widens under the bewildered stare of their shaky eyes. "I'm more than willing to point you the way out." 

"Who?!" The group of bandits immediately pointed their weapons at the strange woman floating on top of the water.

Truthfully if they would only look more carefully it could be discovered that the young lady is only standing on top of a submerged rock. The clean white newbie dress is actually smeared with bits of green and the black tresses that flow with the wind are very knotted together. No matter how it looks, it is not the appearance of someone strong enough to hinder them. 

But the sudden visual shock of an unusual appearance at a place full of supposed danger is extremely frightening. Akin to you wandering in the middle of a haunted house at night when a person you don't know suddenly shows up with a face full of smiles. No matter how approachable they might seem, it doesn't cover the fact that they appear at such an unconventional time and place as if waiting for their arrival.

Eyes sharpening in alert, the leader of the bandits roared with a threatening command, "woman! Get lost if you want to live!" The glare of the sword in his hands pierce through the air and reflected off on the bright obsidian orbs of Xin Yue's pupils. Not even batting an eye at the intimidation, she replaced a strand of loose hair behind her ear with a light sigh, "please leave. There is nothing here that deserves your attention." 

"Ha!" A bandit in the back laughed with scorn, "why should we believe you? The map clearly says that this is the place!"

Map? Xin Yue momentarily revealed an expression of surprise before hiding it with a loud laugh, "this brother is so funny. Take a closer look at my eyes full of honesty and faith. No matter how you describe it, this is definitely the eyes of a good person." As if trying to prove her point, she widened her eyes and leaned her body forward to give them a better view.

"Peh!" Another member in the back spit with distrust, "I already lost count how many times we used those same words on other players. What honest people would say they are honest? It's the same as a drunk person swearing that they are sober, a load of bullshit!" 

"Boss, there is no point in talking any longer!" Running his gaze over her delicate body, the fervent gaze along with the man's lecherous thoughts emit from every word, "give me permission to take down this little beauty." Yellow teeth flash as his tongue slides over the flat surface of his blade and allow strands of his saliva to cling onto its side. As if what his tongue glides over is not the exterior of his weapon but the soft velvety body of his to-be prey.

The burly man laughed in arrogance before rushing forward in excitement, "I haven't played with your type before!"