Xiao Xinghan: ?
Hong Jiu: ?
Both Xiao Xinghan and Hong Jiu were instantly shocked. They clearly hadn't expected that in the brief moment it took to exchange greetings, the other party would strike without warning!
Even Bai Feifei was startled. Although the Old-Timer had always been eccentric, this sudden slash still exceeded her expectations.
Despite being an Edgerunner, Xiao Xinghan's movements were visibly sluggish. He tilted his head slightly, and the flying knife grazed past his ear, its blade scraping against his earthy-yellow armor and sending a shower of sparks flying.
He had barely managed to dodge it.
Shock filled Xiao Xinghan's eyes as he stared at the “Bai Feifei” opposite him.
Xu Mo grinned and said, “Stop using that useless skill of yours to look at me. I'm telling you, you won't see a thing.”
“Besides, I find that look of yours extremely annoying. Don't stare at me.”
As an Old-Timer, Xu Mo knew a great deal of insider secrets.
This generation's Capricorn of the Rangers possessed a unique Word Soul that allowed him to see a person's deepest secrets through their behavior.
And a scheming bastard like Xiao Xinghan would always activate this Word Soul before stepping out, keeping it active indefinitely to quietly observe everyone, analyzing their trump cards, weaknesses, and secrets.
However, Xu Mo was a player. Every time he had encountered Xiao Xinghan in the past, the latter could never see through him, leaving him constantly bewildered.
Now, hearing Xu Mo lay bare his ability so casually, Xiao Xinghan was instantly dumbfounded.
Aside from a few close friends within the Rangers, he had never told anyone about this!
“How do you know that?!” he asked in a low voice.
“I know a lot of things,” Xu Mo replied, too lazy to explain.
Aries Hong Jiu stood nearby, his eyes flickering. He then punched Xiao Xinghan in the stomach and said, “Stop arguing.”
Then, he turned to Xu Mo. “There's no need to be at each other's throats the moment we meet. We didn't come to look for trouble. You could say we're here to help.”
“Help?” Xu Mo raised an eyebrow and looked at him.
“Since when did the Rangers become so kind-hearted? What, did you turn into a charity organization?”
“More like you sensed the anomaly here and followed the scent, didn't you?”
Having his motives exposed so bluntly, Hong Jiu didn't get angry at all. In fact, he hadn't planned on hiding it in the first place. Smiling, he said, “Everyone relies on their own capabilities. You've got your eyes on this place too, don't you have a purpose?”
“What, do you actually think there's another Evil God's corpse here? For something like that to happen twice in a row near a tiny place like Dawn City is highly improbable.”
“In any case, little brother, how about we team up for today's matter?”
Before his voice could fade, a bolt of lightning plummeted from the sky.
Boom!
The silver-white lightning sliced through the crimson gale, finally piercing the wall of wind to blast a charred crater into the ground.
A figure stepped out of the lightning, tossing aside a device that crackled with electrical arcs. Without even glancing at Hong Jiu or Xiao Xinghan, he spoke.
“You two run pretty fast. You weren't easy to tail.”
Hong Jiu and Xiao Xinghan looked at him with some confusion. Having been the first to enter, they didn't know that Xie Jin had also chosen to come in.
Xie Jin looked up, his gaze immediately landing on Bai Feifei.
“Teacher Bai,” he said with a slight bow, speaking very politely. “My brother asked me to send his regards.”
Xu Mo was stunned. He scrutinized Xie Jin's face; it looked somewhat familiar.
Then, recalling the appearance of Xie Xuan, the Turing City engineer, he suddenly understood. He blurted out, “You... Oh, your last name is Xie?”
Xie Jin nodded and said earnestly to Bai Feifei, “My brother said that you are a friend of Turing City.”
“Furthermore,” he said, placing a clenched fist over his heart. “Turing City sends its regards. You are welcome to visit Turing City anytime.”
“You will always be a friend of Turing City.”
Xu Mo: ?
He glanced at Xie Jin's panel. A level 67 Scavenger, making him a top-tier Edgerunner.
But what was the meaning of this? Why was he being so polite right off the bat?
If he remembered correctly, he hadn't had any interaction with Turing City in this playthrough yet.
Where did this friendliness come from? It actually made him feel a bit awkward.
Well, one shouldn't strike a smiling face. He might as well just play along.
Having someone from Turing City around would also mean access to more information.
“Sure, hello there,” he said, waving his hand to offer a rather stiff gesture of friendliness. “What are you here for?”
Xie Jin was brief and to the point: “Revenge.”
Though their reasons differed, the end result was much the same.
Xu Mo nodded. It seemed that for an event of this scale, almost all the local experts who could make it had gathered.
Liu Yun hadn't shown herself, likely staying outside to stabilize this pocket of space.
Logically speaking, shouldn't someone else be coming? Someone from Dawn City, perhaps?
Just then, a laugh that was hard to describe echoed through the air.
“Hehehe, everyone is gathered. What a gathering of heroes, a splendid show indeed!”
The laughter seemed to come from nowhere, yet it also echoed from all directions at once.
Everyone instantly fell silent, the electrical arcs on Xie Jin's body crackling once more.
Everyone turned their gaze toward a single direction.
At the boundary between the white sand and the red soil, after a ripple of distortion, a figure stepped out of thin air.
The person was entirely enveloped in a layer of yellow light, wearing a solid yellow mask that completely covered his face, leaving his features and expression invisible.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he took leisurely steps, his chin tilted slightly upward as if he were strolling through his own backyard.
The onlookers glanced at one another, seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes.
—Who on earth is this?
He gave off an aura of trying incredibly hard to look cool, yet failing in a deeply embarrassing way.
Unfortunately, the character vocabulary system in Old Ones' Awakening was rather limited, and they didn't know the perfect adjective for this: “Jiahao-esque.”
Hong Jiu, possessing the shortest temper, couldn't take it anymore and blurted out, “Who the hell are you?”
In his perception, he couldn't detect this person's heartbeat, breathing, or even his aura.
Still, to be able to reach this place, he had to possess some level of strength.
Someone from Dawn City? They hadn't noticed anyone like him before.
The yellow-masked man came to a halt. Without looking at anyone in particular, he simply kept his hands behind his back and scanned the crowd.
He remained silent, trying his hardest to act like an enigmatic powerhouse.
Seeing his slow and deliberate movements, Aries Hong Jiu felt a surge of irritation rise within him for no apparent reason, and he began to crack his knuckles.
Since no one recognized him, it might be best to strike first and test his mettle. Besides, what if he was an enemy?
After a few seconds of observation, just as Aries was about to throw a punch, the yellow-masked man raised his head and spoke haughtily:
“Given your level, it is only natural that you are unaware of my existence.”
“Have you ever heard of the Masked Hermit Society?”
“Our organization has only recently awakened from the hidden depths of history. Perhaps you do not know of us yet, but you may call me... the Shining Yellow!”
Xu Mo: ?
What the hell?!
Who even are you?!
Rate on N.U.
