Men’s Talk

Roddy became silent and no more words came out from him.

Denzel gave a boorish grunt and turned around.

Seeing that, Roddy clenched his teeth in anger. However, he held himself back anyways and chose not to take any action.

This fellow with Mohican hairstyle had a strength that must not be underestimated. They were in an instance dungeon after all. Roddy understood that unless there was an absolute reason for them to enter a conflict, he should not simply throw himself into a fight to the death.

Denzel and his Feral Tiger Guild members left as quickly as they came. It did not take long for them to disappear into the wasteland.

…

Roddy who was still wearing the Floating Angel mech armour slowly floated down from the sky.

The pair of wings behind him slowly retracted back.

Roddy took a deep breath and turned to the back. He said, “Have you seen enough? If you have, then come out.”

“… … …” Nagase Komi walked out from behind a piece of rock. There was a complicated expression on her face.

The bald girl looked at Roddy from behind with an odd expression.

Although Roddy’s face was still covered by the tactical helmet, he had a faint sensation that the bald girl had seemingly noticed something.

Nagase Komi narrowed her eyes and said, “You… you are not a member of Thorned Flower Guild?”

Roddy smiled wryly and said, “I guess the cat’s out of the bag. Well, no point in covering it up – you’re right, I am not a member of Thorned Flower Guild.”

Nagase Komi slowly took two steps forward and continued, “Have we met before?”

After forwarding the question, the bald girl did not wait for Roddy’s answer. She simply nodded her head and said in a confident tone, “Mm, we should have met before. I have this feeling.”

She cast another odd stare at Roddy’s figure and said, “You are not Chen Xiaolian. You’re slightly taller than him and your voice is also different. Mm… are you Roddy?”

Roddy was startled.

“Don’t bother trying to deny it. Firstly, I know that your skill is of the mechanical type. Back in the Tokyo instance dungeon, I had seen you use your skill before. Besides… this Floating Angel has already exposed your identity! Don’t forget, we were once in the same team back in Tokyo.”

Roddy did not say anything. He simply turned around to face Nagase Komi.

“We had already met each other back in the airplane.” Nagase Komi said coolly. “If you had not summoned the Floater, I would not have been able to confirm that it really is you.”

Roddy sighed and he slowly stepped toward the bald girl. With each step he took, a part of his metal armour would slip away from his body and rapidly fuse together into the two circular shaped metal rings. It regained the original form of the Floater and hovered there behind Roddy.

Roddy approached Nagase Komi with a complex expression on his face.

Seeing the expression on Roddy’s face, the bald girl suddenly lowered her voice and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t reveal this to anyone.”

“Eh?” Roddy was taken aback by that.

Nagase Komi continued in a whisper, “Although there are many things I cannot figure out… I won’t reveal your secrets.”

“I… should I say thank you?” Roddy scratched his head.

Nagase Komi pondered it and suddenly spoke out, “Although I can promise you that I won’t say anything, there is someone else here. Mm, you should also know this fellow. As for whether you want to silence him or if you think you can trust him, that will be up to you.”

After saying that, Nagase Komi turned around and glanced at one of the rocks there. She said, “Come on out.”

Someone I know?

Silence him?

Those words caught Roddy by surprise.

However, when he saw Han Bi emerging from behind the rock, an odd glint flickered within Roddy’s eyes.

“Oh, it’s you.”

…

Han Bi had a gun in his hand. The muzzle of the gun was pointed down as he slowly walked forward. There was a complicated expression on his face.

Or rather… a shocked expression!

Back in the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang instance dungeon, Roddy had not entered the instance dungeon. He was simply a friend who was helping from the side.

During the course of the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang instance dungeon, Roddy had taken up the task of extracting them after the instance dungeon was over. That was all.

Back then, he was an Awakened while Roddy was an ordinary human.

But now?

Just now, Han Bi had personally witnessed how Roddy summoned the Floater and transform into a Floating Angel!

With just several exchanges, he was able to heavily damage a technological type guild!

The image of the mech wearing Floating Angel with the glorious pair of wings, the green flames coming off the turbines, the Ion Pulse Blade from his hand, the way he had defeated his enemies with impunity…

It was hard for Han Bi to accurately describe what he was feeling at that moment.

It had been only slightly more than one month, but in that time, an ordinary human had managed to become so strong!

As for himself?

Back when Han Bi had left Chen Xiaolian’s group, Roddy was just an ordinary human!

It had only been slightly over one month!

And now?

Han Bi thought about it.

If he and Roddy were to fight against each other… he would likely be blown to bits in their first confrontation, right?

There was no doubt that Roddy had the ability to do so.

In that case… what about Chen Xiaolian?

Han Bi was unable to help himself and he felt a tinge of bitterness coming from his heart.

Roddy stared at Han Bi’s face. He stood there for a full 10 seconds before finally stepping forward until he was before Han Bi.

“It’s been a while.”

“… it has been a while,” Han Bi replied with a sigh.

…

Ten minutes later.

“So, Han Bi was captured by you fellows?” Roddy looked at Nagase Komi.

The bald girl nodded her head in a cold manner and said, “Something like that.”

Roddy thought about it and said, “Phoenix and the old man left to rescue Phoenix’s other team members?”

“Yes, they are probably going to come back soon. It won’t take that long.” Nagase Komi tilted her head and said, “I am not getting anything from the alliance channel. That can only mean that things are going smoothly on their side.”

Roddy nodded his head and looked at Nagase Komi. He said, “I… meeting them would make things inconvenient for me.”

“Don’t you mean meeting Phoenix and her men would make things inconvenient?” asked Nagase Komi who looked right into Roddy’s eyes.

Roddy frowned.

“Isn’t that right? We have already met each other back when we were on the airplane,” Nagase Komi said coolly. “There should be nothing inconvenient about meeting the Great Teacher. Thus, the one you are having concerns about is the woman known as Phoenix, right?”

Roddy was silent.

“I will help keep this a secret.” Nagase Komi suddenly smiled.

There seemed to be a meaning behind her smile.

Watching the bald girl smiling at him, Roddy got the feeling that there was some meaning behind her actions.

However, Roddy did not pursue the matter further. He simply turned to look at Han Bi.

Han Bi understood what he meant. He said, “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. I have already failed Chen Xiaolian once. There won’t be a second time.”

Roddy raised his eyebrows and he said, “Do you mind letting us talk in private?”

Han Bi’s thick eyebrows creased together tightly.

Nagase Komi observed the two of them and smiled before saying, “I will go to survey the terrain in the front.”

The bald girl then walked away.

Both Roddy and Han Bi suddenly let out a sigh of relief at nearly the same time.

Roddy moved until he was standing before Han Bi. He patted Han Bi’s shoulder and pulled out a cigarette, which he offered to Han Bi. “Do you smoke?”

Han Bi hesitated for a moment before accepting it.

Then, the two of them sat down while leaning on the rock.

After lighting up the cigarette, Roddy took a puff and slowly said, “Chen Xiaolian has constantly wanted to invite you back. He even went to your house to find you.”

“… mm, I know,” Han Bi answered in a low voice. “We contacted each other once.”

“So, what’s your thought on this? Are you not willing to come back?” Roddy frowned and turned to look Han Bi in the eye. “You are too stubborn, you know that?”

“You don’t get it.” Han Bi shook his head before continuing, “Back in the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang instance dungeon, I had to depend on him to stay alive. He was also the one to lead us back in the deserted island’s underground instance dungeon. I feel that… following him, I would be unable to help at all. Besides… in the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang, I failed to even look after a little girl. He was willing to stay behind to face death in our stead while I…”

Han Bi shook his head strongly and said, “I do not know how to explain it to you. I also do not know if you would be able to understand what I am thinking.”

“You feel guilty toward him?”

“Yes, but it’s not just guilt.” Han Bi gave a wry smile and said, “Perhaps, there is also a trace of inferiority there. We had entered this game at the same time, but his progress had been simply too fast. In the beginning, we could still be considered as partners. However, after just one instance dungeon, he had managed to become an important character. As for me, I detest this feeling of relying on someone else.”

Han Bi then turned to look at Roddy. “I am also different from you. You are someone who had been friends with him for a long time.”

“However, me and Chen Xiaolian? To be frank, there is nothing much between us. We had not actually known each other for that long. There is simply no basis for some kind of solid friendship. I… I do not like being a subordinate. As his best friend, you will never care about something like this, but I care!”

“So, the reason you left was not because you lost Soo Soo back in the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang?”

“That was the spark that lit the flame, but it was not the main cause,” replied Han Bi who shook his head. “I… I wanted to see it… if I can become someone by depending on myself. I don’t want to be someone who relies on others nor become someone else’s subordinate… even if it would mean obtaining a very good tree to rely on – my pride will not allow me to do so.”

“Aren’t you the prideful one?” Roddy laughed and took another puff.

“I have always been a prideful person,” replied Han Bi with a serious expression. “He had saved me once, no, twice… I don’t want to spend my life depending on him to save me.”

“… I will convey these words to Chen Xiaolian.” After saying that, Roddy snuffed out the cigarette on the surface of the rock. Then, his face turned cold and he said, “Are you really not coming back?”

“Mm.” There was the same serious expression on Han Bi’s face.

“All right, then,” said Roddy who got up. He looked down at Han Bi and said, “Then, I should tell you what I feel as well… Han Bi, I don’t like you.”

“… … …”

“Your pride, your heart that lives for honour… it might seem logical to you… but as an outsider, I feel that you are very hypocritical,” Roddy said coldly. “Chen Xiaolian is a good fellow. After having fought together with you in that deserted island, he had already considered you as a friend. Before you fellows entered the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang, there was the train incident. He had also risked his life to save you.

“Truth be told, there is no special friendship between us as well. We were only acquaintances for a brief moment.

“That is why there is no need for me to mince my words with you or think about our friendship. Neither is there a need for me to care about your feelings, so… I am just going to say it out.”

Han Bi looked straight at Roddy.

Roddy said coolly, “Xiaolian is under a lot of pressure. He is now our Guild Leader! The responsibility of managing the guild rests on his shoulders, and then there are Qiao Qiao and Soo Soo… moreover, he has to deal with other stuff as well.

“The things he need to bear and weigh are simply too much.

“I’ll be honest, Han Bi!

“I don’t think highly of you. You said it yourself. Chen Xiaolian helped you too much, causing you to feel guilty and ashamed… thus, you had to leave.

“If that is the case, then I won’t beat around the bush.

“All I want to say is: It’s fine if you don’t want to come back!

“Personally, I’m not too eager in having you return either.

“Truth be told, I did not quite agree with Chen Xiaolian when he went to your house to look for you. However, as a friend, I would try to support his endeavours. Thus, I did not say anything.

“I’ll say this, Han Bi. You don’t deserve to return. You also don’t deserve to join our guild.

“Because, you are too selfish!

“You only thought about your own feelings, about the unwillingness you felt… did you think about how many times Chen Xiaolian helped and saved you? How were you going to repay him?

“Did you consider that as a friend, you should be by his side to help relieve the pressure that he is facing?

“No!

“You just thought about yourself and left!

“You refused to even meet up with him. You won’t even say goodbye. You just up and left.

“That is why, Han Bi. I look down on you.

“If you refuse to come back, then fine.

“Chen Xiaolian hopes that you return. But I have never wanted someone like you to return.”

Han Bi’s face was somewhat contorted and he said, “I…”

“There is no need for you to say anything. We all have our own paths,” Roddy interrupted him and shook his head. “You made your choice. I decided how I feel about it. What I wanted to say is… Han Bi, back in the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang instance dungeon, Chen Xiaolian was willing to stay behind alone, sacrificing himself to save everyone else… but you, after leaving the instance dungeon, you won’t even say goodbye before leaving us.

“For that alone Han Bi, you don’t deserve to be our friend.”

After saying all those in one breath, Roddy breathed deeply and stretched his waist.

“Now I feel better!” He took several deep breaths before continuing, “I have always wanted to say that but could never do so! Now that I can do so in front of you, I feel much better!”

After saying that, Roddy looked at Han Bi and said, “All right. I’ve spoken my mind. See you.”

Seeing that Roddy was about to leave, Han Bi suddenly spoke up, “Wait.”

“Mm?” Roddy turned around and looked at Han Bi.

Han Bi took a deep breath and said, “I… am indeed somewhat selfish. You are right. You also have the right to lecture me. As for me, I too do not want to go back… However, I still remember my friendship with Chen Xiaolian. Is there anything I can do for you fellows?

“Right, you are not willing to accept, so there is nothing I can say.

“However, is there anything I can do for Chen Xiaolian?”

“Of course.” Roddy pointed at Han Bi’s mouth and said, “Keep your lips sealed and don’t tell anyone you met us inside this instance dungeon.”

…

Roddy moved away from the rock all the way to the outer area. There, he saw Nagase Komi kick a stone in his direction.

“Are you done with your men’s talk?” The bald girl smiled. “Sometimes, you men can be so childish.”

Roddy looked at the bald girl.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Phoenix that I met you fellows inside this instance dungeon.”

“… … …” Roddy continued to be silent.

“I also owe Chen Xiaolian,” the bald girl said softly. “The Tokyo instance dungeon.”

Roddy raised his eyebrows and said, “You…”

The bald girl suddenly smiled and lowered her voice. “I am just curious about one thing… you fellows had clearly completed the previous instance dungeon’s quest. Why did you enter a punishment instance dungeon?”

Roddy’s heart gave a heavy pound when he heard that. However, there was a mask of indifference on his face as he said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”