Vol. 2 Chapter 21: Exchange

Chapter 21: Exchange

Lu Li watched the witch turn away, her expression thoughtful. Some things were obvious but difficult to face. Nothing was merely a coincidence.

The sound of the waves reminded Lu Li of his near-drowning a year ago. The muddy river water churned, bubbles floated upwards, and the refracted sunlight through the water turned hazy. A figure emerged from the light, entering Lu Li's vision. A rush of unclear images flooded his mind, burning and twisting his soul. The vivid red...

The boat suddenly stopped. The maid's cold eyes urged them to disembark quickly. Lu Li looked up and saw they had already reached the small island. The speed was astonishing, interrupting his memories. He realized his back was soaked with sweat—a rare experience for him.

"Is it in the center of the island? There's a lot of magical activity there…" The witch stepped onto the island, squinting her eyes and speaking in her harsh voice. She headed towards the island's central lake. The maid followed, her skirt absorbing the boat, which disappeared as she walked calmly behind the witch.

At the lake's center, the mermaid princess swam up, as if expecting their return. The witch's expression changed upon seeing her, then she laughed, "How amusing. Even with your bloodline, you've been enchanted by humans, wanting to become one?"

"Some things have nothing to do with bloodlines, don't they?" The mermaid princess's voice was a stark contrast to the witch's, warm and soothing.

"You should know our clan's rules, right?" The witch stopped laughing and looked at the mermaid princess, "You must pay for what you gain. Becoming human won't be easy. Have you considered this?"

"There's nothing to consider. Nothing will stop me from being with William!" The mermaid princess declared firmly. She turned to Lu Li and the others, "I keep my word. Someone will take you to my treasury. You may each choose one item, and then you should leave."

The mermaid who had always disliked Lu Li and the others reappeared. Her expression darkened further upon seeing the witch. Without greeting them, she swam towards the other side of the island's central lake, and Lu Li's group hurried to follow.

They reached an ice staircase, enchanted to prevent water from affecting those walking on it. By the time they caught up with the mermaid, she was already standing before the treasury, looking displeased.

Despite her irritation, she obeyed the princess's orders. She opened the treasury doors and coldly reminded them, "The princess said you can take one item each. Don't think of taking more, I'll be watching."

"Hurry up, grab something, and let's go. I don't have time to waste!" Xu Haoran said impatiently. He didn't want to leave the witch. He felt withdrawal symptoms without her presence. Seeing the mermaid delaying, he became even more agitated.

"Hmph, those items are cursed. If you're greedy, you won't even leave a whole corpse." The mermaid warned one last time before allowing them in.

Entering the treasury, Lu Li was surprised. He expected the mermaid princess might have some belongings, but since she was acting in secret to become human, he didn't expect much valuable treasure. The mission stated there was no reward, so this was a bonus from the mermaid princess, who usually wouldn't part with good items. Yet, the sight before him was astonishing.

Piles of jewels and gold lay on the floor, glittering and tempting. However, the players only cared about magical items, ignoring the wealth.

They noticed the magical items hanging on the other three walls. Each player, having some experience with special energies, could sense the power emanating from these items. There were dozens of magical items.

"Take your time choosing. Each grouping counts as one item. Don't try to take more." The mermaid reminded them. Xu Haoran, impatient, grabbed a conch-like item and hurried out. His withdrawal symptoms were intensifying, and he blamed himself for leaving the witch for a magical item, unaware this was his last struggle before losing himself completely to the witch's control. [TL: Bro is fallen]

Lu Li silently examined the magical items. There were many, in various forms—cross swords, hats, crystal balls. He had no strong feelings towards these items. According to game rules, some couldn't be taken out of the instance, only broken down into modules.

Gao Xiaowen picked up a goat skull, nodded to the mermaid, and left the treasury. Black fur subtly grew around her left hand, emitting a faintly twisted, evil aura.

Hu Wenxu chose a small knife made of coral, tested it, and left satisfied. Lu Li was the last to choose, his gaze sweeping over the items. He stopped and pointed at one, asking the mermaid, "Does this count as one item?"

[End of the Chapter]