Chapter 28: The Invisible Hand

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As Bochang and Dan Heng interrogated Sampo,

March 7th and Xingshan finally arrived, lagging behind.

"What are you guys doing here? And who is he?" asked the pink-haired girl, full of curiosity.

Bochang glanced at Sampo and replied, "We found this fellow hiding in the snow on our way, so we brought him along. Just questioned him, and he's willing to guide us to the city. However, given his suspicious behavior, I don't trust him."

"Hey, pals, if you don't believe me, why not just let me go?" Sampo grinned ingratiatingly. "Let's keep to ourselves... I won't bother you, and you stay out of my business, deal?"

Stelle remained silent.

Dan Heng narrowed his eyes, examining Sampo briefly before turning back to Bochang.

"We're unfamiliar with this place, so having him lead us is the best option, but... your concerns are valid."

"How about I keep an eye on him? If he dares to play any tricks, we'll send an arrow right through his rear!" March 7th volunteered eagerly.

Seeing this, Bochang refrained from further interference.

"Hey, hey, hey, we're all in the same line of work here. Isn't this unnecessary?" Sampo involuntarily took a step back, his face displaying an exaggerated expression.

March 7th, hands on hips, retorted, "Who said we're in the same line of work?"

"This is going too far, isn't it? Not trusting me is fine, but there's no need to feign ignorance to this extent. After all, who else would be wandering around in these icy conditions except those in our profession..." Sampo sighed heavily, "Alright, alright... Since you won't acknowledge it, I won't press further. It's all my fault for being naturally enthusiastic and overly sincere..."

"However... I must warn you, this isn't a safe place to talk. The Silvermane Guards could appear at any moment. If you're willing to trust me, allow me to lead you away from here." Sampo's expression turned solemn.

Unfamiliar with the Silvermane Guards, both March 7th and Stelle were filled with confusion.

[Dating Options activated.]

[Option 1: Trust Sampo and say, "Lead the way then." - Completion Reward: Captured by Silvermane Guards.]

[Option 2: Reject Sampo and say, "We'll go on our own." - Completion Reward: Captured by Silvermane Guards.]

[Option 3: Knock out Sampo, stuff him into the snow, and declare, "This guy can't be trusted. Since he likes being in the snow, let him stay there longer while we proceed independently." - Completion Reward: Invisible Hand.]

Initially, Bochang had no intention of interfering with the plot, but now it seemed he had to take action.

A pair of large hands suddenly shot forward.

To Sampo, Bochang's move appeared slow; with a swift dodge, he evaded it easily.

"What are you trying to do?" Sampo asked, visibly startled and uncertain.

Ignoring Sampo's confusion, Bochang addressed the others, "This guy can't be trusted. Since he enjoys staying in the snow, let him linger there awhile longer. We'll proceed on our own."

"You mean... knock him out?" Dan Heng instantly understood, having initially thought it was better to let Sampo lead the way. However, witnessing Sampo's agility changed his mind.

After all...

With such impressive skills yet still resorting to hiding in the snow, it clearly indicated deceit.

Stelle and March 7th, being newcomers, weren't fully aware of the situation yet.

However, since Bochang had already taken action...

The two girls didn't hesitate, revealing their longbow and baseball bat.

Realizing the situation was dire, Sampo turned to flee.

Unfortunately, Dan Heng's spear, Speed, was even quicker.

"Clang!"

With a crisp sound, Sampo blocked Dan Heng's spear using his dual blades, only to face another barrage from March 7th's arrows immediately after.

Under this relentless onslaught,

Sampo struggled to resist, bewildered by how events had spiraled out of control.

It far exceeded his expectations.

"What... is going on with these guys?"

Sampo glanced at the sole black-haired youth who hadn't moved yet—Bochang. Earlier, there was also a gray-haired girl beside him, but now she was nowhere to be seen.

A sudden sense of foreboding arose within him.

Before Sampo could react, he felt a gust behind him.

It was the sound of a blunt weapon tearing through the air.

"She's behind me!"

"Bang!"

With a sharp crack, Stelle struck Sampo unconscious, causing him to collapse heavily onto the snow-covered ground.

The battle lasted less than a minute.

Faced with their combined assault, Sampo was no match at all.

"Do we bury him in the snow next?" Stelle looked at Bochang, who nodded and said, "I'll take care of this."

Approaching, Bochang grabbed Sampo by the ankles and effortlessly buried him in the snow, leaving only his head exposed.

March 7th furrowed his brows.

"Um... he won't freeze to death like this, right?"

"Based on the strength he displayed earlier, such cold won't kill him. Besides, Bochang didn't remove his clothes either," Dan Heng replied as he stowed away his long spear.

Like Himeko, he possessed space equipment, allowing him to conveniently store his weapon at any time.

However, March 7th, Stelle, and Bochang did not have such capabilities. But...

March 7th's blue longbow was also made from hexaphase ice, allowing him to summon it when needed and destroy it when not in use - quite convenient compared to Bochang and Stelle, who had to carry their weapons constantly.

At least Bochang's Vow Spear could fly autonomously, making it slightly easier...

But for Stelle, she had to tightly grip her weapon.

"I just didn't want him interfering with our actions; I never intended to kill him..."

After burying Sampo under the snowdrift, the system's notification promptly sounded:

[Reward distribution in progress - Congratulations! You have obtained the Invisible Hand.]

"Invisible Hand... Is this like Subaru Natsuki's ability?" wondered Bochang.

He felt something additional within himself and instinctively activated it. Instantly, three large purple-black hands appeared around him, fully controllable at his will for any action.

For instance, giving someone the middle finger...

And no one could see them.

"Does this mean I can use these hands for some unspeakable activities?"

Bochang keenly sensed that these three large hands functioned just like his own, with tactile capabilities. They could feel the gentle fall of snowflakes and the chill of the cold air.

"Now what should we do?" March 7th glanced at the distracted Bochang, who quickly snapped back to attention. "Hide the snowmobiles, let's change direction and proceed cautiously. We don't want to encounter those Silvermane Guards this fellow mentioned; I certainly have no desire to be captured."

Everyone agreed without objection.

And so...

After taking a detour, the group finally arrived at Belobog.

It was a city heavily fortified by high walls, surrounded on all sides by mountains. Except for the city itself, everything else was blanketed in deep snow.

"Finally here! Feels like we took quite a roundabout route." March 7th placed his hands on his hips.

Dan Heng spread out his fingers thoughtfully.

"It seems...we'll now need to figure out how to scale those towering walls..."