Chapter 27 Part 1

When Xia Xifeng was leading the team alone, his nerves had been stretched taut.

After seeing Qin Lang, Xia Xifeng not only smiled radiantly and with animated features, but even his tousled hair seemed more energetic.

Glancing at the nearby corpses of the gate guards, so impressive was my old Qin; even without being max level, he can still walk sideways through a dungeon.

Xia Xifeng held his head high as he fiddled with the Sanctuary’s grand door, working on the lock.

His swaggering demeanor was like a jackal colluding with a tiger, the fox borrowing the tiger’s might.

Qin Lang continued sitting on the steps, resting.

The people Xia Xifeng had brought stood about five or six paces away, not daring to come closer.

Jim thought that since he and Qin Lang could be considered acquaintances, he tried several times to open his mouth and greet him.

But his mouth opened and closed repeatedly, yet he couldn’t produce a sound.

In reality, Qin Lang was just a taciturn young man, not arrogant or aloof. Aside from that face being unnaturally handsome, there was nothing unusual about him.

Why did Qin Lang become so terrifying in the dream?

Was it the dream that twisted his personality?

Jim silently shrank back into the middle of the group, abandoning the idea of stepping forward to greet him.

The puzzle to unlock the Sanctuary’s door was similar to the one in the game.

Players just needed to find all the fragments of the clergy’s scepter, then follow the hints in the remnants of the 《Holy Scripture》 to piece the pattern on the door, and the door would open.

Xia Xifeng had done this quest a long time ago; he couldn’t remember the pattern on the door. But he still remembered the solution logic. After fiddling for a bit, he opened the door.

After opening the door, Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang didn’t enter immediately.

The gate guards had already been dealt with by Qin Lang; there were no other monsters nearby, so it was considered a safe zone.

Xia Xifeng set up a campfire, took out pots, pans, and dishes, and told everyone to rest on the spot, have a full meal, and build up their energy before engaging the BOSS.

Based on the hints from the quest Xia Xifeng had done before, and Jim’s half-dead state in reality, Xia Xifeng suspected these people might not be able to return to reality.

Not everyone can face the fear of death; most spirits collapse upon learning they’re already dead.

Xia Xifeng wanted to let them have one good meal before sending them on their way.

This was the simplest form of goodwill from people of their nation.

“You nap for a while.” Xia Xifeng took out a sleeping bag and tent, pushed Qin Lang inside, and stood guard at the tent entrance with his Spiked Club staff.

He’d only walked around and smashed things; the stamina he consumed could be restored with food.

Qin Lang had slaughtered a small town’s worth of monsters. Even if his stats on the panel looked fine, Xia Xifeng firmly believed Qin Lang’s own mental energy must be exhausted.

It was like playing games all day—even if your body isn’t tired, your brain tells you to stop.

Once Qin Lang was out of the group’s sight, their quieted breathing could finally return to something closer to normal.

The unknown danger ahead loomed, and stopping now for a hearty meal felt somewhat out of place with the current atmosphere, but their nerves did relax considerably.

Two innocent children even showed smiles on their faces.

“Delicious. In rea… uh, how come I didn’t realize before that these cakes are so tasty!” Jim held a Jam Cake in one hand and a Cream Cake in the other, eating until his beard was messy.

Xia Xifeng opened a bottle of Jim’s favorite Dwarven ale: “Just a little, don’t overdo it.”

Jim wiped his hands and beard, smiling. “I know. Dwarves all love to drink, but a good Dwarf knows how to control his fondness for alcohol.”

Thinking that Jim, in the “future,” had accidentally killed Roxie due to drunkenness, Xia Xifeng found Jim’s words a bit ironic.

But the clear-minded Jim indeed drank with great restraint, only taking small sips of ale between large bites of meat.

Xia Xifeng set up a grill and brought out pre-marinated fresh meat slices, mushrooms, and vegetables, letting everyone barbecue their own food.

Since Qin Lang had to hunt monsters to level up every day, Xia Xifeng was very well-prepared for camping.

Eating food with positive status effects over and over wouldn’t stack the added effects; it just refreshed the duration. So, during camping, having Qin Lang and the others make some food themselves was also a kind of fun.

At least, Xia Xifeng and Leo thought so; Qin Lang and Perila had no comment.

Nightingale was truly multi-talented. Not only could she sing beautifully and “treat illnesses” with a large awl, but she was also an excellent cook.

Xia Xifeng had taken out all his seasonings. She sifted through the precious spices, skillfully sprinkling them over the grilling meat.

Xia Xifeng grew even more curious about Nightingale’s true identity.

Nightingales only operated among the lowest classes of commoners. But this Nightingale didn’t look like a poor person at all.

He didn’t ask.

Once they entered the Sanctuary’s door, all mysteries would be unraveled, whether they wanted them to be or not.

After eating and drinking their fill, the guarded, tense atmosphere among the group eased considerably.

They also leaned against broken walls and dead trees and napped for a while. Half an hour later, Qin Lang came out of the tent, and they set off again.

Watching Xia Xifeng pack away the camping gear, the lingering fragrance of fine food and wine still in their nostrils, everyone wore reluctant expressions.

None of them could remember how long they’d been wandering this hellish city.

There was too much fear, too much exhaustion; even their memories had blurred.

Outside were monsters cobbled together from walking corpses. Warily hiding in dark corners, they lived like the walking dead themselves.

This one meal had reminded them what it felt like to live as “living people.”

The gloomy middle-aged man said, “My wife makes excellent pies. My favorite is her berry pie, paired with the fruit wine from East Street. Truly outstanding.”

The old diviner woman smacked her lips. “Grilled meat is a bit tough on the teeth. Stew is better. When making stew, you must add peeled potatoes, stew them until they completely fall apart, then pour in thick cream. One sip on a winter’s day and you’re warm all day long.”

The two small children chirped and chattered, missing colorful candies.

Jim thought about pestering Xia Xifeng for a few more cakes after waking from this dream. He would teach Xia Xifeng the Hammer Family’s forging techniques, so eating a few more cakes should be fine, right?

Nightingale just smiled gently. No one knew if she, too, was reminiscing about happy times.

Qin Lang adjusted his equipment based on Xia Xifeng’s description of the BOSS.

He gripped his short sword and stepped through the entrance of the Sanctuary.

While exploring the town, Xia Xifeng had found many items belonging to the clergy but very few clergy bodies.

The vanished clergy were all inside the Sanctuary.

They sat in chairs, eyes closed in prayer postures. If one ignored the long spikes driven into their chests, their faces looked lifelike, as if merely asleep.

Xia Xifeng muttered, “I just have a feeling they’ll pull out those spikes from their chests and transform into monsters to attack us.”

No sooner had Xia Xifeng spoken than the clergy opened their eyes.

Qin Lang glanced at Xia Xifeng. Xia Xifeng hurriedly covered his mouth.

The group behind them was terrified. Jim’s hand holding his axe trembled.

Though the Dwarf Merchant Caravan had traveled far and wide, facing countless dangers, the world had been at peace for too long. Jim was just an ordinary man; this was his first time encountering such a bizarre event.

Was it truly… truly his first time? Jim’s mind flickered with momentary disorientation.

The clergy struggled to their feet, the spikes still embedded in their chests—a sight clearly painful just to watch.

Qin Lang made no move.

This group hadn’t yet shown a red health bar; there was probably going to be a very long, very boring storyline.

He simply stepped back a few paces, keeping Xia Xifeng hidden behind him, and watched the clergy’s performance.

The clergy, chests pierced with spikes, gathered before the Sanctuary’s severely damaged, unrecognizable statue of the god. They clasped their hands to their chests and prayed devoutly to the god statue.

After praying silently for a while, they began a lopsided, stumbling dance, as if performing some kind of ritual.

Xia Xifeng thought for a moment, then poked Qin Lang’s arm. “Want to try interrupting them?”

Seeing the eager, testing look on Xia Xifeng’s face, and figuring they wouldn’t actually die inside a dream, Qin Lang nodded in agreement.

Although the clergy hadn’t shown a red health bar, their actions could be interrupted through “collision” in the game. In reality, it would be even easier.

Qin Lang and Xia Xifeng tossed a few explosives into the group of dancing clergy—Dwarven-made, excellent for blasting through mountains and rocks.

Dwarf Jim’s mouth twitched, and he covered his ears.

With several thunderous booms, the dancing clergy were blasted away, and the ritual was interrupted.

Before the blasted clergy could even react, a furious shriek came from behind Qin Lang and Xia Xifeng.

They turned and saw the beautiful Nightingale clutching her stomach, collapsed on the ground, throwing them a look of pure rage.

Glowing chains bound her body; the more she struggled, the tighter the chains constricted.

Xia Xifeng had secretly used a Sealing Scroll on her the moment he saw her.

Although the seal’s effect hadn’t shown initially, every time the Sealing Scroll’s duration ended, Xia Xifeng would use another, refreshing the sealed state.

This Sealing Scroll had only one effect: briefly sealing an enemy’s movements for three seconds.

Nightingale’s character setting was an ordinary person with no class, so she hadn’t noticed Xia Xifeng continuously applying negative statuses to her.

The moment Nightingale’s name changed from yellow neutral to red hostile, the seal’s effect triggered, and she collapsed to the ground.

In those mere three seconds, Qin Lang had already readied his bow; magically enchanted arrows flew towards her.

The arrows were deflected by a flash of red light, and the chains binding her shattered.

Nightingale floated up like a ghost.

She asked, puzzled, “The others were more suspicious than me. Why did you only guard against me?”

Xia Xifeng said, “I didn’t guard only against you.”

Although he lacked combat skills, with Suer and Amuruo providing virtually unlimited common materials, his colossal debt had transformed into stacked-to-the-limit quantities of items in his backpack.

When the quantity of a useful item exceeded one inventory slot’s stacking limit, or when Xia Xifeng could craft a superior version to replace it, only then would he sell the surplus to the System.

Everyone present had a sealing buff on them. If they turned red-name hostile, it would buy Xia Xifeng three seconds to flee.

Even though the System said they couldn’t be harmed in the dream, Xia Xifeng would still be as cautious as possible.

As a life-skills player, Xia Xifeng might not be good at fighting, but he had maxed out his survival and escape abilities. Otherwise, how could he leech materials?

The monsters in high-level story quests were also tough. Although Xia Xifeng could drag Qin Lang along as hard labor, he at least couldn’t be a dead weight to Qin Lang, right? At the very least, he couldn’t just lie there dead, right?

Nightingale looked at Xia Xifeng silently, her eyes showing a flicker of life.

Beside her, the old woman, the middle-aged man, the young boy and girl—all their eyes turned turbid and wooden.