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Join the ServerXiluo’er still held a vivid impression of Ellen, the Destiny Witch. This character, and the organization she belonged to, were truly unique within the game.
The Destiny Observation Society, in the game’s lore, was an independent organization established by the Witch clan, devoid of any national affiliation.
Because they were beholden to no country, the Witches appeared and vanished like ghosts. Their numbers were inherently sparse, making encounters with members of their organization a rarity in the game.
Of course, if their background had merely been that of a simple plot device, Xiluo’er would not have remembered them so distinctly. Her deep impression of Ellen and the Destiny Observation Society stemmed from the Witches’ utterly capricious nature.
First, as a game boasting high freedom, *The Hero’s Adventure Tale* allowed players to control the protagonist, Eve, in accepting a wide array of quests.
Typical quests involved mundane tasks like delivering items, finding objects, or destroying certain things – essentially, the standard fare for games where NPCs seemed to lack any self-sufficiency.
However, once players reached the Lund City chapter, accepting quests from the Witches of the Destiny Observation Society meant encountering very few ‘normal’ requests.
Xiluo’er distinctly recalled taking on a quest where the first step required the protagonist to find three frogs.
This initial step felt perfectly normal; finding items was, after all, a classic quest trope.
Yet, once the protagonist located the three frogs, the Witch’s subsequent demands veered sharply from the ordinary.
She then instructed the protagonist to balance the three frogs on their head while performing one hundred push-ups in front of her.
According to the quest-giving Witch, she intended to record and observe something specific. However, Xiluo’er never fully grasped what exactly she was observing.
After all, what could a normal person possibly observe from someone performing a hundred push-ups with three frogs balanced on their head?
The Witches’ thought processes were truly peculiar, and their actions were just as arbitrary.
Amidst this strange assortment of Witches, Ellen, the leader of the Destiny Observation Society, appeared remarkably more grounded.
She faced every situation with an unruffled composure, always maintaining a serene elegance, rationally analyzing prophecies and the outcomes of destiny.
This was the true reason Xiluo’er held such a deep impression of the character Ellen.
“So, you want my help investigating Ellen? What aspects should I look into?”
Nightmare scratched her head, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. “Anything, really. The Cult knows very little about the Destiny Observation Society or their leader.”
“The Erudite Club is well-known; they’re a prominent organization in the Myr Kingdom, so the Cult has intelligence on them. But the Destiny Observation Society…”
“You understand, then. Since the Cult intends to intervene in the collaboration between these two organizations, it’s only natural that we need to investigate the Destiny Observation Society.”
“But while the higher-ups’ orders are clear, you know the Cult’s current situation in Lund City. So, I was hoping you could…”
Nightmare blinked, giving Xiluo’er a pleading look.
Xiluo’er remained silently impassive for a moment.
To be honest, she desperately wanted to refuse.
It was a joke! She had just managed to escape that troublesome person in Karna City, and now she was expected to help the Chaos Cult? Especially during this plot segment in Lund City, where the Chaos Cult operated from the shadows.
Wasn’t this simply courting death? As if Eve wasn’t already ruthless enough.
The problem was, she couldn’t find a single valid reason to refuse Nightmare, especially since her recent actions had already drawn suspicion from the Chaos Cult. Although her previous rambling had seemingly placated them…
In that moment, Xiluo’er keenly felt the agony of being coerced into becoming a fence-sitter, caught between two sides.
*Fine, I’ll agree for now, just to get past this. I can always use some inconsequential information I knew from the game to fulfill the task later. I used that method to fool Shadow back in Karna City… But just in case, I should at least pretend to investigate and do a cursory search.*’
However, Xiluo’er then considered the high probability of receiving more demands from Nightmare in the future.
In the original story’s chapter, Xiluo undoubtedly helped the Chaos Cult significantly behind the scenes. What if Nightmare came to her with new tasks later on? She couldn’t possibly brush off everything so easily.
*Why is it so hard to be a good person?*
“Alright, I’ll try to help investigate… but I can’t guarantee what I’ll find.”
Xiluo’er, while agreeing, also left herself an escape route.
“No problem, no problem at all. Thank you so much!”
Nightmare didn’t seem to mind, shaking Xiluo’er’s hand vigorously several times.
Watching Nightmare’s demeanor, Xiluo’er felt an odd sense of unease.
Honestly, Nightmare didn’t resemble a member of the Chaos Cult at all.
Instead of being a fanatic obsessed with resurrecting an evil god, she seemed more like an overworked corporate drone driven to madness.
*How strange. Are there really people like this in the Chaos Cult?*
“Oh, right. I’ll be your contact person in Lund City from now on… After all, the other qualified contacts are all dead.”
“We can meet through me from now on. I’ve already ‘located’ your dream this time, so next time it won’t be such a hassle.”
“That’s all for today. My ability to maintain the dream is almost at its limit.”
*Hmm, it seems this ability also has a time limit…*
Silently noting this piece of information, Xiluo’er nodded, watching Nightmare’s figure vanish before her eyes, as if erased by a rubber.
Yet, the pitch-black dreamscape did not dissipate with her departure. Xiluo’er remained unhurried, sitting down to wait patiently.
Sure enough, after a short while, Freya blinked… *cough cough*… a cautious voice sounded.
“She’s gone?”
“Yes, she’s gone,” Xiluo’er nodded, looking at the deity who had appeared before her. “You’ve come at just the right time. As expected, you can sense it.”
“Of course!”
Freya proudly puffed out her chest.
“While dreams have nothing to do with my divine authority, since I’m dormant within you, I can certainly detect and block such methods that are essentially mental intrusions.”
“Then why didn’t you help me stop her? I thought you were deliberately talking to me in the dream earlier, you scared me to death!”
No longer needing to maintain mental vigilance against the Chaos Cult member, Xiluo’er slumped to the ground, exhaling a long breath.
She had been terrified when she realized the person in her dream wasn’t Freya.
“I couldn’t do that. Although I could have blocked that person’s intrusion into your dream using the Nightmare clan’s method, if I had, it would have exposed your issues.”
“Didn’t you still need to keep up appearances in front of these cultists?”
“Don’t worry, I was watching the whole time. If that person had tried to attack you in the dream, I definitely would have helped you.”
“Oh, that’s true…” Xiluo’er looked at Freya with surprise.
*Freya could understand such complex logic? This really challenged her perception of Freya.*
However, Xiluo’er didn’t voice her thoughts, knowing that if she did, Freya would become agitated again.
“Hey, are you thinking something disrespectful about this divine being?”
“*Cough cough*, no…”
Xiluo’er guiltily averted Freya’s gaze.
“So, you mean, in a necessary moment, you can help me block this person’s invasion of my dream, right?”
“Hmph, do you not trust this great being?”
“I trust you, I trust you.”
Although her words were dismissive, like coaxing a child, Xiluo’er felt a sense of relief in her heart.
This was good; she at least had a trump card to counteract the other party’s abilities.
While she wasn’t sure if she would eventually fall out with this person named Nightmare, preparing in advance certainly wouldn’t hurt.
From this perspective, after the Bell, Freya had gained another new use.
This was, *uh*, helping to intercept spam messages.
Although Freya’s role was becoming increasingly similar to a smartphone, at least the divine being was becoming more useful. Wasn’t that a good thing?
****
The next morning, after waking up, Xiluo’er specifically checked the entire inn again. As expected, the old woman was nowhere to be seen.
It seemed she had slipped away after making contact with Xiluo’er last night.
Xiluo’er felt a degree of unease about this.
It was a situation where the enemy was known, but she was in the dark. The other party could find her through dreams anytime, anywhere, yet she didn’t even know if their true appearance matched what she saw in her dream.
Alright, Xiluo’er admitted she had a slight prejudice against members of the Chaos Cult.
How could a crazy cultist truly be a beautiful girl exhausted from work?
At the very least, they should be annoying people like Shadow… *cough cough*, everyone except Xiluo’er herself.
In any case, as an assassin, Xiluo’er was accustomed to operating from the shadows. She was highly vigilant in situations where she couldn’t ascertain the enemy’s true nature.
“Xiluo’er, we need to get ready to leave!”
“Tia said we should reach Lund City this afternoon.”
Eve’s voice drifted over, and Xiluo’er temporarily pushed the matter of Nightmare to the back of her mind.
The carriage was back on the road. Aside from everyone seemingly complaining about not sleeping well and having dreams last night, nothing else out of the ordinary occurred.
Xiluo’er deliberately joined the conversation, steering the discussion towards the inn’s poor bed quality and uncomfortable sleep.
*Sorry, inn… you’ll just have to take the blame this one time.*
Xiluo’er realized that she seemed to constantly make others take the fall for things. She was truly a master of shifting blame.
After the carriage set off, Xiluo’er retreated alone to the carriage carrying goods to ponder some issues.
Since no one else was in that carriage compartment, it was quieter, allowing her to think in solitude.
If she were in the same carriage as Eve… she would constantly be touched. Xiluo’er didn’t believe she would have the extra energy to think in such circumstances.
*Eve was simply draining her energy.*
“Ellen…”
Hugging her knees and leaning against the large coffin-like cargo, Xiluo’er began to think about the Destiny Witch she was about to meet.
Honestly, Xiluo’er still had a strong impression of the leader of the Destiny Observation Society.
Mainly, she remembered how Ellen treated Xiluo in the original game.
Ellen was portrayed as a dignified, ladylike character, but her attitude towards Xiluo alone was noticeably off.
In the game’s storyline, Ellen maintained a polite demeanor towards Eve and others, yet she harbored an inexplicable aversion towards Xiluo.
Xiluo’er could understand Ellen’s initial dissatisfaction with Eve, as Eve had lost the cargo that the Observation Society and the Club valued so highly. But even with that dissatisfaction, Ellen’s attitude towards Eve remained courteous and polite.
However, towards Xiluo, from their very first meeting, Ellen displayed a subtle, underlying dislike. The storyline never explained why.
Thinking about it now, perhaps the Xiluo in the original story also received orders from the Cult to investigate Ellen, just like her. That might explain why Xiluo had actively tried to be friendly with Ellen during their first encounter.
*Hmm, and as a result, she was met with Ellen’s inexplicable malice.*
Considering how this character might treat her in the future, Xiluo’er decided she needed to be cautious when dealing with Ellen.
There was no choice; she had to at least symbolically investigate Ellen.
Who knew if Nightmare had other means to monitor her actions?
Xiluo’er was eager to clear the Chaos Cult’s suspicions about her. After all, as a frail young girl, she couldn’t withstand the hostility of the entire Chaos Cult. She couldn’t allow the plot to deviate to that extent.
However, truthfully speaking, she had already managed to secure the cargo that both organizations wanted, so perhaps Ellen’s initial attitude towards her wouldn’t be so bad after all.
With this thought, Xiluo’er, hugging her knees and leaning against the cargo, extended a hand and tapped on the wooden crate containing the goods.
*Speaking of which, what exactly is inside this thing? For it to draw so much attention from the leaders of two organizations…*
*But the more I look at this thing, the more it resembles a coffin.*
Xiluo’er reached out and knocked on the wooden crate as if knocking on a door, producing a *thump-thump-thump* sound. Only then did she belatedly realize this action was somewhat inauspicious.
*”Sigh, this thing looks so much like a coffin. Is it really appropriate to knock on it like a door?”*
As Xiluo’er hesitated, she suddenly heard a *thump-thump-thump* sound beside her ear.
It was very similar to the sound she had just made knocking on the wooden crate, except this sound was muffled, seemingly coming from…
…inside the wooden crate.
“Oh no, I’m finished.”
Xiluo’er immediately panicked. Could it be that this wooden crate truly contained a coffin?
*Damn it, then the ‘thump-thump-thump’ from inside just now… couldn’t have been the corpse inside the coffin, could it?*
The thought of having just leaned against a corpse and talked to herself for so long sent a shiver down Xiluo’er’s spine, making her hands and feet turn icy cold.
Xiluo’er instantly leaped three feet high, retreating to the furthest corner from the cargo… or rather, the coffin.
“Thump-thump-thump!”
The knocking sound echoed again. This time, Xiluo’er was certain; the sound was coming from inside.
“Hello? Is anyone out there?”
The next second, something even more astonishing happened to Xiluo’er. A woman’s voice emerged from inside the coffin!
Xiluo’er could no longer hold it together. She clutched her head and crouched down.
“Waaah, I didn’t mean to disturb your rest, no offense intended, rest in peace, no offense intended…”
Xiluo’er was terrified, huddled in the corner of the carriage, burying her head between her knees like an ostrich.
The carriage fell silent for a few seconds before the voice from the coffin spoke again, as if the person inside was somewhat bewildered by Xiluo’er’s sudden, extreme reaction.
“Whose child is this?”
“Never mind. Are you the one transporting the cargo for the Adventurers’ Guild?”
“Ah, that… I suppose so?” Despite her fear, Xiluo’er dared not not answer.
“I, I am the one transporting the cargo, please don’t eat me.”
Xiluo’er was terrified that the person in the coffin would suddenly burst out, flip the lid, and gobble her up.
*Damn it, so the Club and the Observation Society were transporting a zombie… No, wait, do zombies even exist in this world?*
“What’s this about eating?”
The voice from the coffin clearly followed Xiluo’er’s train of thought once again, pausing for a moment before speaking.
“Never mind. I just noticed this entity entered the connectable range and logged in to test it.”
“Where are you now?”
“Ah, that…”
Xiluo’er quickly recalled Tia’s words.
“We left Mor Town three or four hours ago. Now, now I don’t know where we are.”
“Mor Town… alright, then it seems we’re almost there.”
“Hmm, looks like the entity is undamaged. Alright, I’m logging off.”
“After the item is delivered, Ellen should be the one to receive it. That’s all.”
After muttering a few words, the coffin fell silent. Xiluo’er waited for a long time before daring to approach.
*Speaking of which, that voice earlier seemed to mention logging in and logging off…*
Only then did Xiluo’er realize that what was inside this wooden crate was probably not a zombie.
If she wasn’t mistaken, the voice that had just spoken to her was likely Turing, the founder of The Erudite Club and one of the few geniuses in the Myr Kingdom.
In that case, Xiluo’er could probably guess what was inside the box.
*Alright, no wonder its shape was so much like a coffin, and no wonder Tia hadn’t told them what they were transporting before. If it was something belonging to Turing, it made sense.*
Xiluo’er had an epiphany, then couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed by her earlier behavior.
*How to put it, *cough cough*, what nonsense was she thinking? It was just… she was startled by a sudden sound, that’s all. Yeah.*
Xiluo’er had already been thinking that since they had entered the ‘log-in’ range, they shouldn’t be far from Lund City. Sure enough, not long after, they arrived.
They even arrived several hours earlier than the originally estimated afternoon.
Watching the carriage pull into the Lund City branch of the Adventurers’ Guild, Xiluo’er breathed a sigh of relief.
It was finally delivered safely, without any further mishaps.
Logically, the quest should have ended here. The branch staff said the cargo could be left there, and members of the Destiny Observation Society would pick it up later.
Tia and the others also took their leave. Before going, Tia even playfully patted Xiluo’er’s cheek as a goodbye.
“Alright, then big sister will be going now. Bye-bye, little Xiluo’er.”
“Oh, by the way, there’s one last thing I want to ask you.”
Tia leaned closer, whispering into Xiluo’er’s ear.
“What exactly is your relationship with Eve?”
“Ah, this…”
“That… a master-servant relationship?”
“I’m Eve-jie’s personal maid, responsible for looking after her daily life, *mm*.”
Although she didn’t know why Tia was asking such a question, Xiluo’er hesitated before using the explanation Eve had prepared earlier.
While the term “master-servant” always sounded a bit off, if it was master-servant, then so be it. At least it was a legitimate relationship.
“Really?”
Tia’s gaze swept over Xiluo’er suspiciously, clearly not quite believing her answer.
She didn’t believe Xiluo’er’s words at all. Even if the two truly had some kind of master-servant relationship… it wasn’t the ‘proper’ kind.
It was probably the kind where they were master and servant when it was appropriate, and when it wasn’t… oh, when it wasn’t appropriate, they could still be master and servant; that might even be more interesting.
*Hmm, looking at Eve, who always maintained a serious, expressionless demeanor, she probably wouldn’t have a hobby like role-playing, would she?*
“*Sigh*, you know, little Xiluo’er, I have naturally good hearing. I always notice sounds others can’t.”
“But thinking about it carefully, that’s not entirely a good thing, is it?”
“Well then, see you next time, little Xiluo’er.”
Finally, after giving Xiluo’er a mysterious smile, Tia waved her hand and left.
Leaving Xiluo’er standing there, utterly bewildered.
“‘What does that mean? You have good hearing, so what? Why tell me specifically? Are you showing off? What’s there to show off about? My hearing is excellent too; I immediately heard someone knocking on a coffin lid in there just now…'”
So, while all the other transporters left, Eve remained in the Adventurers’ Guild with Xiluo’er.
The reason was simple: Eve had not only agreed to help the Guild Master deliver the item this time.
Xiluo’er’s poison problem still hadn’t been resolved, and Eve needed to find the elusive founder of The Erudite Club.
Upon arriving at the Adventurers’ Guild, Eve questioned the receptionist. However, although the Guild had a record of the quest, the receptionist couldn’t locate Turing, the quest giver. She merely told Eve to wait for the person who would pick up the cargo and inquire with them.
Although, *cough cough*, thinking about it now, the poison problem could probably be resolved later, Eve still didn’t want Xiluo’er to carry such a hidden danger in her body.
With this thought, Eve’s hand involuntarily reached towards Xiluo’er’s waist again.
“Xiluo’er, do you need a magic replenishment tonight?”
“*Cough cough*, this…”
Xiluo’er, who was drinking water, choked, forcing herself to speak.
“No, no, Eve-jie.”
“I feel like I can last a few more days. There’s no need to do it so frequently.”
“After all, it wouldn’t be good if you got too tired, Eve-jie…”
*Tsk tsk, this child is so thoughtful, even worrying about her getting tired.*
However, Eve didn’t feel tired. If anything, Xiluo’er was the one who needed to watch her health.
But so many days had passed; Xiluo’er’s body should be fine now, right?
Eve made up her mind. She would find an opportunity in the next couple of days to trick…
…*cough cough*, to help Xiluo’er replenish her magic once more.
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, Illusionary Dream is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : Illusionary Dream
