Xu Zhiheng stopped a few paces away, a slight smile on his face.
“Are you all heading deep into the Mist-Dwelling Forest?”
His gaze landed on Rena before quickly sweeping over the others.
“Let me introduce myself first. I am Xu Zhiheng, one of the Descenders, as you call us. Our party happens to be passing through here. If you've run into any trouble or have any difficulties, feel free to tell us.”
Zhou Yi chimed in immediately, wearing a fawning smile.
“Right, right, right! Our Brother Xu is incredibly capable. Hunting monsters, scouting, escorting—we can help with anything.”
Su Xiaoman also curled her lips, her voice sweet and soft.
“Meeting in the forest is a form of fate, isn't it? If we help each other out, the danger will be greatly reduced.”
The smile on Xu Zhiheng's lips deepened, and he unconsciously puffed out his chest.
“Of course, we can't help for nothing. If the quest difficulty is high, it would be best if there were some form of reward. Gold coins, gear, or rare materials would all do.”
Zhou Yi looked at the party before him, rubbing his hands together.
“With so many people entering the forest together, it definitely isn't some ordinary small quest, right? The rewards should be quite substantial, I assume?”
Ryan's face darkened. “You certainly have some nerve.”
Having seen plenty of the Descenders' greed, Damon spoke with a heavy, displeased tone.
“This is a job we took ourselves. Why on earth should we let you meddle in it?”
Zhou Yi didn't back down either, raising his voice instantly.
“You can't put it that way. We Descenders help you resolve your troubles, so it's only natural for you to offer some compensation, isn't it?”
“Natural?”
Damon took a step forward, planting his iron shield heavily into the mud.
“The more people there are, the harder it is to split the loot. You demand to join our party the moment you open your mouths, acting as if you're doing us a favor. Who do you think you are?”
Used to acting tough with someone backing him up, Zhou Yi shrank back at the threat, instinctively looking toward Xu Zhiheng.
Xu Zhiheng's expression soured for a moment before he quickly smoothed it back into a gentle look, though his condescending attitude remained grating.
“My friend, there's no need to be so defensive. We Descenders are far more familiar with quest mechanics. With us joining you, your success rate will only be higher.”
“Cut the crap,” Ryan said coldly. “You outworlders are the best at stealing credit. When someone acts this eager, they're always up to no good.”
Su Xiaoman frowned slightly. “How can you think of us like that? We only want to help.”
“Helping is fine,” Severn finally spoke up, “but not if you're reaching out your hands for rewards.”
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
The wind blew through the collapsed bridge of the Old Valley, bringing with it a damp, musty smell.
Damon's shield had already risen half an inch, and Ryan's fingertips were gripped around the fletching of an arrow.
Zhou Yi took a step back, but he was still muttering under his breath.
“What's with the attitude... Without us, you lot might just end up dying in there.”
Those words were like a match, lighting a fuse that was already dangerously short.
Damon's eyes flared with anger as he roared, “What did you just say?”
Just as the two sides were about to clash, Rena suddenly barked coldly:
“Enough.”
The shout startled a flock of birds nesting in the forest, sending a shower of rustling leaves drifting down.
Everyone fell silent.
Rena turned her head, looking first at Damon and his companions, her gaze terrifyingly sharp.
“I am the one leading the way right now. Where you go, how you bypass the roots, and whether we change our route—all of that requires my approval first.”
She drew herself up, her gaze sweeping across their faces one by one.
“I am willing to lead you because this trip benefits me as well. But you had better remember this clearly: I am not some hunting hound you hired to order around. Until we reach our destination, my word is law in this party.”
Damon's expression shifted, and Ryan's hand slowly let go of his arrow. No one argued.
Then, Rena turned to look at Xu Zhiheng.
In that split second, the hatred belonging to Yu Lingye was entirely suppressed beneath the irritability and cold harshness that befitted Rena's persona.
“And as for you lot.”
Xu Zhiheng paused slightly.
Rena stared at him, pronouncing each word with icy deliberation: “I don't care if you're some Descender or some pus-spewing monster that crawled out of a muddy ditch.”
“If you want to cooperate, bow your head and fix your attitude.”
Zhou Yi's face twisted. “How dare you talk to—”
Rena's sharp gaze pierced him, and the rest of Zhou Yi's words died in his throat.
She looked back at Xu Zhiheng, her words cutting.
“Don't think that just because you Aberrants carry some fancy title, you can ignore the rules and do whatever you want.”
“This is the Mist-Dwelling Forest.”
“It is not a tavern for you to run wild in, nor is it a backyard where you can rummage through chests for rewards.”
“If you want to cooperate, you play by our rules.”
“If you want to put on the arrogant airs of a Descender, that's fine too.”
“But all I need to do is lead you half a step off course. It wouldn't take much effort at all to get you killed.”
The smile on Xu Zhiheng's face finally froze.
He looked at Rena, the trace of contempt in his eyes instantly vanishing.
This woman is trouble.
He quickly adjusted his expression, offering a sheepish, apologetic look.
“Apologies. We were too forward.”
He reached out to press down on Zhou Yi's shoulder, acting like a captain disciplining an immature teammate.
“We didn't mean to offend you. We only heard you were entering the forest and were worried about the dangers inside, so we wanted to ask if there was an opportunity to work together.”
Zhou Yi's shoulder sank under the pressure. Though his face still showed resentment, he didn't dare speak again.
Su Xiaoman also quickly chimed in with a soft voice.
“What we said just now was indeed inappropriate. Please don't be angry, everyone. We can follow your arrangements.”
Han Jin stood at the very back, his gaze remaining quiet.
He stared at Rena, a familiar, cruel smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Damon had been thoroughly disgruntled, but after hearing Rena's speech, the anger in his chest subsided considerably.
He hated the high-and-mighty tone of the Descenders more than anything.
Rena's words were harsh, but they hit right where it mattered.
Ryan also let out a low chuckle. “Pus-spewing monster. I like that.”
Severn glanced at Xu Zhiheng's group, silently tightening his grip on his staff, but his gaze toward Rena now held a bit more approval.
Reece was even more direct, muttering, “If they actually dare to snatch our loot, I'll be the first to chop off their hands.”
The cracks in this temporary party were still there.
But at that moment, they had at least reached a consensus on one thing.
Descenders truly deserved a good scolding.
Milo stood at the back of the crowd, his face growing paler and paler.
He stared intently at Rena's back, his palms slick with cold sweat.
No! This is wrong!
In my memory, Rena had a bad temper too. She would curse and even strike directly when offended.
If someone provoked her like this, she would have been more likely to kick them or draw a dagger and press it against their throat.
She shouldn't possess such an intimidating ability to command a room.
Milo suddenly had an even more terrifying realization.
If this person before them is an impostor, then she must know Rena incredibly well.
If an impostor puts on a clumsy act, they are easy to expose.
But she is acting too perfectly—so perfectly that everyone else is willing to rationalize the tiny discrepancies for her.
Milo instinctively leaned closer to Kolo, lowering his voice.
“Kolo, don't you think...”
Kolo didn't look at him, but beat him to the punch.
“She's actually quite capable.”
Milo was incredulous.
“Didn't you say there was something off about her?”
Kolo finally turned her head to look at him.
“A person can be suspicious and capable at the same time.”
Milo opened his mouth, completely at a loss for how to argue back.
He looked at the others again.
He realized that none of them found anything wrong with Rena's performance just now.
Even Kolo's attention had been captured by her.
Milo suddenly felt as though he were standing on a very thin sheet of ice.
Something was swimming beneath the ice, invisible to everyone else.
He was the only one who could hear the ice cracking.
But the more anxious he grew, the less he could explain it clearly.
He had already missed his chance once.
Last night in the tavern, he knew perfectly well that there was something wrong with Rena, but in the end, everyone assumed he was just making up excuses for his own cowardice.
What if I speak up now?
What would they think?
Milo's lips parted, his voice so quiet it was barely audible.
“You're all going to die.”
No one heard him.
Or rather, even if they did, they wouldn't have cared.
Rena stood between the two parties, having finally taken complete control of the situation.
She looked at Xu Zhiheng, her tone still freezing.
“Our objective this time is to hunt a treant. If you want to follow, you can.”
“But let me make the rules clear first.”
“First, I set the route. Anyone who wanders off on their own is out.”
“Second, report any anomalies immediately. No touching anything without permission.”
“Third, the loot will be divided based on contribution.”
Hearing that it was a quest to hunt a treant, Xu Zhiheng's eyes lit up. He quickly replied:
“Fair enough. We'll follow your lead.”
As if.
Xu Zhiheng wore a warm smile, but in his mind, he had already decided to let these local NPCs act as cannon fodder first.
When it came to the final loot, of course it would go to whoever grabbed it first. Only fools talked about rules in a world where the strong devoured the weak.
He exchanged looks with the other Descenders, and they all tacitly understood each other's thoughts.
Isolde didn't miss their exchange of glances.
She sneered inwardly, though her face betrayed none of it. She simply raised her hand and pointed to the other side of the Old Valley.
“The forest is dangerous at night. We need to find a place to camp before the sun sets.”
The moment she said this, the local mercenaries immediately put aside their bickering.
Because they knew better than anyone.
A guide capable of navigating the perilous Mist-Dwelling Forest was far more valuable than any Descender who only knew how to spout pretty words.
Rate on N.U.
