Chapter 8: Manpower

The grey-haired man possessed a cold, aloof countenance and a pure, elegant aura, yet his smile was radiantly bright, acting completely at home.

For a moment, Yin Luo didn’t know how to respond. After a brief silence, he chuckled twice in a tone identical to Aunt Jing’s: “Heh heh.”

One was a guest lounging arrogantly in someone else’s pool in the middle of the night. The other, though in his own home, was sneaking over the wall like a thief in the dark.

But the commonality was that, at least on the surface, neither of them looked embarrassed.

Both wore perfectly calm, composed expressions.

The two stared at each other for a while. Just as Lin Yujing was about to open his mouth to tease the kid again, the black-haired youth suddenly seemed to sense something and glanced up towards the window sill.

His expression changing, he braced his feet against the wall, resolutely letting go of the rope and jumping down!

Lin Yujing was startled. “Hey, what are you doing?! Life is priceless! Don’t do anything rash at such a young age!”

Someone falling from that height might not lose a limb, but they would definitely be seriously injured.

When that fiercely protective Housekeeper investigated, he would inevitably be implicated.

Lin Yujing didn’t want to cause too much of a stir, nor did he want to offend a key figure right at the start of the Instance. And there was also the side quest.

But before these considerations could even be weighed in his mind, his body had already acted before his brain.

Like a flood dragon, the grey-haired man leaped gracefully from the water, not a drop clinging to him.

Then, swift as lightning, he crossed nearly ten meters in an instant, catching the black-haired youth falling like a stone.

Despite the height, Lin Yujing’s expression remained unchanged. His arms, not overly muscular, merely braced slightly to absorb the impact before stabilizing instantly.

It was as if he’d caught not a person weighing dozens of kilograms, but a lightweight foam box.

“What did you see just now?” he asked.

Yin Luo replied, “It was too dark. I couldn’t see clearly.”

He had simply felt the knotted bedsheet rope in his hands suddenly jerk. Looking up, he saw a hand resting on it that had appeared from nowhere.

Perhaps ‘hand’ wasn’t the right word. ‘Claw’ might be more fitting.

Dry, twisted, and black. Even with Yin Luo’s current vision, he only saw a shadow nearly blending into the night.

Under that intense instinct, he jumped down without a second thought.

His initial plan was to descend to the third floor first, taking the stairs down for safety. But in that emergency, he could only push off the wall to see if he could roll onto the lawn of the second-floor platform.

He hadn’t expected this man to catch him.

And that speed and strength displayed just now… was that something a normal adult human should possess?

The black-haired youth looked up, only seeing the grey-haired man’s sharp jawline and the distinctive necklace of mixed turquoise and unidentified teeth around his neck.

Features that could be called exquisitely beautiful and a wild, untamed aura were strangely fused together. Setting aside his true nature, at least outwardly, such a person should be dazzling and eye-catching no matter the time.

Especially considering how powerful he was.

So it was strange that his attitude had been so extremely friendly from their very first meeting.

It made it seem like he had ulterior motives.

Could it be related to their mission?

The black-haired youth thought, his expression blank.

As if carrying a sack of rice, Lin Yujing hefted him twice, flipped him over, and set him upright on the ground. “Oh? Really saw nothing? Lying isn’t a good habit, kid. Especially to a new friend who just saved your life. He’d be heartbroken.”

Yin Luo had no idea when they’d become friends, nor when his life had been saved.

Distractedly, he looked back towards the fourth floor. The black claw had vanished without a trace, and his crude ‘rope’ was gone too.

Had it left?

Or was it hiding in the shadows, secretly watching him right now?

Lin Yujing, too deep in his act, spoke in a mournful tone: “You won’t even look at me anymore, friend? How cruel.”

“…”

Finally, under the grey-haired man’s accusing gaze, the black-haired youth hesitated, then told him what he’d seen. “It was a black claw. It suddenly appeared and grabbed the rope.”

“A claw?”

“Mhm.” The youth said softly, “But it looked like a charred human hand.”

The knocking at midnight, the hoarse unidentified creature calling his name, the eerie, charred human hand that had entered his room—it all made him uneasy.

To him, any ghost or monster wasn’t frightening. What was frightening was lacking the power to fight back against them.

“Scared?” Lin Yujing finally found his opening, ruffling the youth’s soft hair and mocking, “I thought a silent, closed-mouthed bore like you wouldn’t be scared.”

Yin Luo turned his back, too lazy to deal with him.

He only half-understood this game and had no clue about the Main Quest. He hated these ‘veterans’ who were already ahead of him.

He wasn’t strong enough yet. His special identity was his advantage; his young, deceptively innocent appearance was also his advantage. So, often, silently observing was the best choice…

“Achoo!” A night breeze blew across his skin, and Yin Luo sneezed.

“Yo, who’s caught a cold?” The grey-haired man laughed heartily. “Serves you right for climbing walls half-naked in the middle of the night without shoes.”

“The room only had slippers, not good for climbing.” Because of the sudden sneeze, a layer of mist covered the black-haired youth’s eyes, making him look even softer.

But actually, it might be because his room was too cold. Last night it was just cool; tonight it had become somewhat chilly.

He wondered what connection that strange creature had to his abnormally cold room.

“What are you thinking about?” the grey-haired man suddenly asked.

Yin Luo’s expression didn’t change; he even looked a little puzzled. “Nothing.”

“Really? Not hiding anything from your new friend again, are you? Dishonest children get chased by ghosts at midnight, you know.”

“…” Yin Luo changed the subject. “I’m a little cold.”

“Don’t look at me, I’ve only got this one piece on! If I give it to you, I’ll have to streak!” Lin Yujing immediately clutched his small bath towel tighter.

“…”

The corner of the black-haired youth’s mouth twitched.

Shamelessly thick-skinned, Lin Yujing completely missed his look of disgust. Shaking his head with a ‘what can I do with you’ look, he said, “Tsk, what can you do when we’re good friends? Wait here.”

As he said this, the grey-haired man actually took out a long metal bar, its luster dazzling.

“Gold?” Yin Luo was taken aback.

With a face that looked utterly unworldly, Lin Yujing’s words were full of mercenary calculation: “Sigh, the price of gold went up again this year. Good friend, you better make this worth my effort, remember my kindness, and don’t just turn your back on me again.”

Yin Luo: “Heh heh.”

Then, the grey-haired man pulled out a dark-gold glove. It looked thin as cicada wings but had the texture of metal.

Biting it lightly with his teeth, he expertly put it on his right hand.

Fair skin under the moonlight and the dark-gold glove created a clear, stark boundary, a vivid contrast.

Yin Luo didn’t ask what he was going to do, nor did he urge him on. He just watched quietly.

Lin Yujing, wrapped only in a still-dripping bathrobe, somehow produced a Red Gem.

About the size of a longan fruit, it was a raw, uncut stone, unremarkable.

“Need one more thing.” His fingers moved like plucking a flower, and he produced a small knife the length of his palm out of thin air. Crystal clear, delicate, and exquisite, its radiance couldn’t be hidden even in insufficient light.

“Pretty,” Yin Luo said.

“You’ve got good taste.” Lin Yujing smiled, flipping his wrist. The crystal-clear, art-piece-like blade traced a beautiful arc, showing none of the sharp edge of an ordinary knife.

“It’s called Elegant Water. The hardest skull is just like tofu in front of it.”

The black-haired youth blinked.

“Hey, just kidding. How could I use it for bloody things? My Elegant Water is only used for carving precious gems.”

Lin Yujing’s movements were like butterflies fluttering through flowers, so fast they left afterimages.

The unidentified red gem gradually took shape. Then, with a wipe of his gloved right hand, it was instantly polished, revealing stunning beauty.

Finally, he took the finger-length small gold bar and pinched it with his gloved right hand, pulling gently.

The gold softened rapidly in his hand, forcibly drawn into a soft, thin, evenly thick strand.

It was unclear how the grey-haired man maintained the metal’s temperature stability, but Lin Yujing even swung it around twice like pulling noodles. The gold, heated, turned a more vivid color, emitting white steam upon contact with the cold air.

Once the gold was drawn into fine wire, he became like the most renowned master artisan. The gold wire came to life under his fingers, gradually woven into an intricately ornate Gold Chain.

Yin Luo watched his operation curiously, his gaze gradually becoming distant.

He really wasn’t human, was he.

Carving, grinding, and polishing the gem; drawing the metal wire, weaving it, and hammering it into shape. Even in today’s age of machine assistance, this level of craftsmanship would require the best artisans at least several days, even dozens of hours, to complete. Yet Lin Yujing had done it in just half an hour.

Was it his glove that had special power?

Or was it fundamentally his own power that was miraculous?

The strength to casually cut and carve a gemstone like chalk with just wrist and finger strength had nothing to do with how sharp the blade was.

This was strength that simply didn’t exist in ordinary humans. Forget flesh and blood; against steel and concrete, a single punch… it was hard to say which would shatter first.

Compared to the other five Players, the grey-haired man before him was truly out of place, frighteningly powerful. It was unknown what purpose he had blending into this world. His current friendliness might only be temporary; if their interests ever clashed, Yin Luo would have no way to face it.

Vigilance immediately rose in Yin Luo’s heart.

Lin Yujing probably hadn’t expected that not only had he failed to gain favor with his “new friend,” but he had actually increased his wariness.

The grey-haired man glanced at the nearly finished gold chain, then wove the polished Red Gem into it. Once done, he said contentedly, “Give me your hand.”

Yin Luo didn’t move.

“Hey, as if I’d harm you, you little brat.” Lin Yujing grabbed his hand, removed the original jade pendant bracelet, and wove it together with the Red Gem onto the gold chain.

Finally, he bent down and fastened the woven gold wire bracelet onto the black-haired youth’s slender wrist.

“Something’s not quite right.” The grey-haired man looked at the glittering gold bracelet, then at the pale youth. He clicked his tongue softly. His gloved right hand stroked over it gently, and the dazzling color instantly shifted to a subdued, dignified dark gold.

“Now that’s more like it.” Lin Yujing looked at his work with satisfaction. “Take good care of those paws of yours. Don’t get hurt again.”

Knowing resistance was futile, Yin Luo let him do as he pleased.

It wasn’t until warmth spread from his hand through his limbs and bones, as if the bone-deep chill had been dispelled, that he pursed his lips, fiddled with the two finely polished gems, and asked, “Do different colored gems have different powers?”

“Guess?” The grey-haired man smiled.

So, not necessarily.

Yin Luo lowered his eyes.

After a moment, seeming to feel that accepting the gift obliged him, he added dryly, “The bracelet is very beautiful.”

“Ha, of course!” Lin Yujing planted his hands on his hips and lifted his head. “With my carving skills, even if you give me a beer bottle, I can carve it into Imperial Green Jade!”

Yin Luo affirmed, “Sounds like you’ve done that before.”

“Hey hey hey, kid, words can’t just be thrown around! Bad-mouthing me right after accepting my gift?” The grey-haired man vigorously ruffled his hair, trying to turn it into a bird’s nest. “Forget it. What can you do when we’re good friends? I’m not mad. Right?”

The black-haired youth hesitated again, finally nodded, and softly murmured an “Mm.”

The atmosphere between the two was very harmonious for a time. The tall grey-haired man and the well-behaved black-haired youth—at a glance, they looked like loving brothers.

If it weren’t for the side quest remaining stubbornly silent the whole time, Lin Yujing might almost have believed it.

Tch. Little brat.