Chapter 29: A Calculated Gambit for the Angel’s Seed

“Oh, thank you so much for your help! Rest assured, once you’ve retrieved the ‘Seed of an Angel’ for me, I’ll keep your secret safe; I won’t breathe a word to anyone about you venturing into the forest!”

Xue Hu nodded, a subtle smile playing on her lips as she scrawled on the wooden board, “There’s no time to waste. Let’s make haste; follow me!”

As Xue Hu led the way, Xingxing remained oblivious to the smug, triumphant smile that now graced Xue Hu’s face.

Xue Hu had, in fact, long since seen right through Xingxing; her desire to enter the forest could only be driven by the pursuit of the White Tiger!

Why Xingxing sought to capture the White Tiger was undoubtedly tied to her special mission—it was entirely possible that her unique objective was precisely that.

Consequently, despite Xue Hu’s own highly suspicious conduct, Xingxing chose not to pry, believing that once the White Tiger was secured, all complications would cease, rendering any of Xue Hu’s machinations utterly irrelevant.

In truth, the “Angel” class advancement had no need for singing; Xue Hu had already visited the “Angel’s Sanctuary” to offer prayers, only to meet with failure.

Within the original 《Enchanted Forest》, the “Angel” class advancement was a rare occurrence, reserved only for the truly fortunate—or, as one might say today, the “European Emperor” (TL Note: A Chinese slang term referring to someone with extremely good luck in gacha games or RNG-based events)!

A failed prayer, however, imposed a two-day cooldown period, meaning Xue Hu would be unable to attempt the class advancement prayer again until the evening of the sixth day—a delay she simply could not afford.

The “Angel” class advancement prayer was exclusively for females, and Xue Hu harbored doubts as to whether her current condition would impact the eligibility criteria.

While this was never a concern in the original game, her present state was one of “soul transmigration” (TL Note: A common trope in web novels where a person’s soul is transferred into another body); though her character’s body was female, her soul was male.

Should this be the cause of failure, Xue Hu would be unable to secure the advancement seed on her own.

Fortunately, despite the prayer’s failure, Xue Hu discovered through the system that the “Seed of an Angel” was a tradable item, immediately sparking a plan in her mind.

At this moment, only one individual held the potential to acquire the “Seed of an Angel”: Xingxing, who was unwittingly marching towards her demise in the “White Tiger Forest”!

Since Xingxing was, in essence, heading to her doom, Xue Hu resolved to exploit her final utility.

Thus, after initially entering the 《Enchanted Forest》, she doubled back to the entrance, patiently biding her time like a hunter ambushing prey.

Indeed, Xingxing was unwittingly walking straight into a death trap!

The previous day, Xue Hu had already ventured into the “White Tiger Forest” for reconnaissance.

Like the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger was a colossal beast, easily over ten meters in length, appearing even more formidable and majestic under the cloak of night.

It was clear that not only would Xingxing, going alone, be utterly annihilated, but even a full four-person party would face complete destruction!

As for the certainty of Xingxing’s destination being the “White Tiger Forest,” the reasoning was undeniable.

From the outset, Xingxing had remained with the main contingent, never venturing into the Enchanted Forest independently as a “merchant” as Xue Hu had.

Consequently, it was inconceivable that she could possess knowledge of the “White Tiger” that was unknown to everyone else.

Her detailed awareness, therefore, strongly suggested an alternative source of information regarding the beast.

Beyond a special mission, Xue Hu could conceive of no other explanation for Xingxing’s awareness of the “White Tiger,” much less her specific proposal to the group to hunt it.

Reflecting on it, Xue Hu recalled that when the “Girls’ Team” of three first commenced their monster-hunting journey, Xingxing had indeed appeared “frightened” by tiger-like creatures, leading Chen Lili to relentlessly tease her for an extended period.

Now, however, it seemed Xingxing hadn’t been genuinely “frightened,” but rather “pleasantly surprised” to encounter a monster resembling her true objective.

Nevertheless, those details now seemed trivial.

While it wasn’t strictly necessary for her to transform into an “Angel” to aid her teammates in acquiring the Azure Dragon, Xue Hu still fervently hoped Xingxing would secure the “Seed of an Angel,” believing it would provide a crucial layer of security.

Her intuition whispered to Xue Hu that her teammates might not be as straightforward as they seemed, and that the game itself might harbor a significant degree of malevolence.

Without a contingency plan, she feared, they could truly stumble and fall.

Provided Xingxing could procure the “Seed of an Angel” for her, Xue Hu mused, Xingxing’s subsequent fate, be it life or death, would be utterly inconsequential to her.

Just as Xue Hu stood idly by the entrance of the “Angel’s Sanctuary,” her mind replaying these disparate thoughts, a sudden, brilliant white light pierced the sky, descending swiftly to land upon the sanctuary’s roof.

Though fleeting, the white light shone with remarkable intensity against the dim backdrop of the night, leaving Xue Hu absolutely certain that her eyes had not deceived her.

Could it be that Xingxing had succeeded? What wonderful news that would be!

Xue Hu made her way towards the entrance of the “Angel’s Sanctuary,” just in time to see Xingxing emerge from the great doors, clutching an object that pulsed with a soft, ethereal white glow.

While the radiance wasn’t overwhelming, it was distinctly visible in the nocturnal gloom.

Xue Hu was confident she had never encountered such an item before, leading her to the irrefutable conclusion that this was, without a doubt, the “Seed of an Angel.”

Xingxing, engrossed in scrutinizing the item’s description, remained completely oblivious to Xue Hu’s approach.

“Well? Did you succeed? It certainly looks like you did, doesn’t it?”

Xue Hu extended the wooden board towards Xingxing, who, utterly absorbed in examining the “Seed of an Angel,” flinched in surprise at the sudden intrusion.

However, Xingxing quickly regained her composure, then promptly initiated a “trade request” with Xue Hu. “Here,” she messaged, “I’ve managed to get this thing for you. Just promise me you won’t tell them I was slacking off today! Take it quickly; I’m off to the forest to clear my head!”