Chapter 34: The Price of Greed

“No!!!”

Earth-shattering, pig-like wails reverberated from every direction, and I could barely comprehend the depth of his despair. It was, I imagined, much like enduring a long journey with a desperate need to relieve oneself, finally stumbling upon a toilet, only to find a queue stretching for two kilometers.

And then, after finally enduring that two-kilometer wait, the toilet exploded.

It must have been an utterly ‘refreshing’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘suān shuǎng,’ referring to a sensation that is both painful and exhilarating, often used sarcastically for intensely frustrating situations.) ordeal, I’m sure.

However…

“You don’t have to thank us~” I called back, nonchalantly blowing a kiss over my shoulder.

“Performing good deeds without seeking recognition is, after all, a fundamental virtue of citizens on the continent of Adar!

Although the promises made by our predecessors were fulfilled far less than anticipated, we are not greedy individuals—absolutely not!

Therefore, despite a slight hint of regret, we resolved to extract and take these two swords, enduring the agony of failing to completely fulfill our predecessors’ promises, and unflinchingly chose to uphold justice…

As for the final sword, well, we must adhere to our own promises, mustn’t we?

Our pledge is this: until the reputation points are fully credited, we will absolutely not, in good conscience, draw that sword!

Once our predecessor manages to transfer the Divine Descendant reputation points, we will most certainly draw the sword and release them!”

“No!!! Come back!!! I can give you other things!!! Come back!!! Don’t go!!! Take one more step, and I’ll kill you!!!”

Upon hearing that furious declaration, we only quickened our pace.

As that voice roared, the very earth seemed to crack, and the steps carved into the pit wall behind us began to crumble incessantly.

“Master! Run!”

By this point, we had ascended roughly one-third of the way.

The pit wall stretched for 120 meters, meaning we were at a height of 40 meters.

A fall from 40 meters would undoubtedly trigger the fall damage system, registering our deaths.

This mission had been fraught with peril from the outset, feeling as though we were constantly walking a tightrope to claim our rewards.

No one could guarantee what might happen should we take a single misstep…

The most probable outcome was that all our previous efforts would be rendered futile, and every item on our persons would be dropped.

Taking a moment to glance at my backpack, I saw it, just as expected: both the Demon-Sealing Urn and the sword within bore the inscription, [Death Drop Upon Leaving the Sealed Land].

Another tremor shook the wall, and we barely managed to regain our footing.

Unexpectedly, a fist-sized rock plummeted from the summit, striking directly towards Su Yingning’s head!

“Master, look out!”

There was no time to lunge.

Instead, I spun around and forcefully swung my fan-shaped tail, sweeping it just above Su Yingning’s head!

‘What… the…’

Then, I was assailed by the most agonizing, heart-wrenching pain I had ever experienced, in this life or the last.

It hurt so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much, so much!

The rock had smashed violently into one of my tails.

While it was successfully deflected, the one who bore the brunt of the impact was me.

For a moment, I was lost in a haze of groans and wails, so consumed by the pain that I failed to notice a single strand of tail fur drifting down into the abyss below.

“Fox fur? It’s fox fur! This is definitely fox fur!

I’d recognize it even if it turned to ash!

You, you’re not an adventurer!

No wonder I couldn’t discern your true form!

You are a cunning fox!

A dead fox!

Argh, I’ll kill you!”

The roar emanating from the bottom of the pit carried an unprecedented fury.

In an instant, the entire Sealed Land seemed to plunge into a magnitude ten earthquake, with the wildly shaking steps and rock walls threatening to hurl us off entirely!

As if misfortunes weren’t enough, that last impact had nearly crippled me.

Now, the injured tail throbbed with a pain akin to being clamped by red-hot tongs.

Not only did my stamina and health bars instantly bottom out, but the agony left me utterly drained, making every single step an immense struggle.

Sweat beaded on my forehead.

To avoid being flung from the rock face, I could only cling cautiously to the steps, inching my way upwards.

Su Yingning glanced back, saw my predicament, and without a word, scooped me up in a princess carry once more.

From the moment we had first entered the pit, we had been in a combat state; otherwise, Su Yingning would surely have dismissed her summoned form long ago…

Cradled gently in Su Yingning’s arms once more, I felt incredibly awkward, yet lacked the strength to struggle.

“Master, please put me down…”

“Be quiet! Stay still!”

I stared, speechless and utterly flustered, at Su Yingning, who had suddenly switched into ‘Domineering CEO’ mode (TL Note: A common trope in Chinese web novels where a character acts possessive and authoritative, often unexpectedly).

“Run?! You dead fox!

If you manage to escape today, I will never leave this seal!”

The magnitude ten earthquake intensified yet again.

This time, we were utterly without recourse.

With no opportune timing, no advantageous terrain, no unity among us—indeed, nothing at all, not even climbing tools—faced with such terrifying magic, capable of being called divine wrath, even I could not find a single countermeasure.

While I possessed the ability to kill, to eliminate anyone I wished, this was a game.

It boasted magic, martial arts, and new rules of death.

Bosses here commanded tens of millions of health points, capable of suffocating me with a mere breath.

I might well be the bane of all other players, but before these formidable bosses, I was still far too insignificant.

The climbing steps finally collapsed completely, and Su Yingning and I plummeted downwards, helpless.

The ground rushed closer.

This time, it seemed, our efforts truly were doomed to fail.

A Spirit-Sealing Urn containing a mid-level skill, a high-level skill book, a Level 60 specialization branch we had never heard of—[Sword Master]—a demonic artifact named [Lunar Eclipse], and two precious swords that were most likely divine artifacts…

Such lavish rewards, rich enough to drive players worldwide into a frenzy, inevitably implied equally terrifying dangers.

Even having successfully unlocked the mission’s hidden route through keen insight, the path ahead remained fraught with peril.

Yet, the anticipated shattering of our bodies and departure of our souls did not occur.

Whether it was an illusion or not, I distinctly heard the pink rapier in my backpack emit a joyful chime.

“Badiros! Dare to lay a hand on them, and see what happens!” A heroic female voice, impossibly familiar to both Su Yingning and me, resounded from beyond the heavens.

In that instant, the earth settled back into a profound stillness.

“Don’t steal my lines, muscle-bound woman!” a more vivacious, enchanting female voice retorted, tinged with annoyance.