21. Me, the God of Responsibility? Are you serious?

After listening to the solution provided by Mint and observing the layout she sketched on the ground with a twig, the group fell into deep contemplation.

Without waiting for them to speak, Mint hurriedly gathered all the potions required for the plan and packed them up for the group—at this moment, she had finally learned to store hazardous materials separately.

In Mint's own words, this was the optimal solution she could propose given their financial constraints, as it relied on many budget-friendly alternatives, and even forced the use of inferior substitutes, meaning the overall effect might be less than satisfactory.

Having thoroughly "layered her armor" with caveats, her face was a portrait of the desperate desire to survive.

Original-Flavor Fries let go of Mint.

Jiang Heyi asked, "How much?"

Upon hearing this, Mint’s eyes widened, her sea-blue irises sparkling as if stars had fallen into them.

Seemingly forgetting she had just been held hostage, she giggled, "Are you really paying? Well then... how about a Star Fragment?"

"..."

"..."

Although Mint was asking for the game’s universal currency, let alone "The Boundary of Reality," no one in the entire game had ever obtained a Star Fragment. Even the game's NPCs were aware of this, and trades were always conducted via barter.

"You really have some nerve."

Jiang Heyi’s fist tightened, crumpling the fabric of her witch's hat.

"...Just kidding, just kidding... What do you have? Let me see first."

Jiang Heyi opened his inventory and felt awkward. The low-level materials he had previously acquired had either been fed to the dolls or used for guild expansion; there was nothing left.

Mint noticed the two rabbit pelts on the trade panel. Her neck immediately retracted, and her mouth pursed, seemingly muttering something under her breath. It was likely a string of curses.

It really doesn't pay to show kindness; she would jump at any opportunity to take advantage.

Thinking of this, Jiang Heyi took out the [Soul Shards] stored in another bag and waved them in front of Mint’s face.

Like a cat toy dangled before a feline, Mint’s eyes brightened, her gaze following the movement of the shards. Standing only as tall as Jiang Heyi’s chest, she instinctively stood on tiptoe, reaching out to touch the fragments—which looked like the dying embers of stars within the bottle—but her height left her just out of reach.

"Give it to me... yes, that one."

It was clear she truly wanted it.

"It seems they really can be used for alchemy," Original-Flavor Fries noted silently.

"Not just alchemy. They can be added when smelting and forging equipment, or used to craft scrolls... Although it's a bit meager, it's enough, it's enough."

Jiang Heyi couldn't help but remind her, "Wipe the drool off your chin first, it’s embarrassing... I still suspect you aren't a proper alchemist, nor a proper witch. What kind of witch is this pathetic?"

"Hey, hey, hey! I just solved a huge problem for you. Isn't my reserved knowledge and insight enough to prove everything?" Mint protested. "Besides, how many witches have you even met? Why do you think witches have to be 'proper'?"

"Wake up. The problem isn't solved yet. We haven't even tested your plan; for all we know, you’re just spouting nonsense."

Unable to withstand the provocation, Mint flushed red and argued, "If it doesn't work, it's because you're too weak!"

Jiang Heyi retracted the soul shards, and Mint immediately let out a pitiful, "Ah~~"

"I don't intend to get your items for free. If your plan proves effective, I have 11 more bottles of these shards. Giving you three is nothing."

Mint muttered, "You're just saying that."

"If all goes well, we’ll be back here in a day and a half at most. If you're still here, we'll pay the remainder."

Jiang Heyi gathered his things, preparing to leave. He added, "If you think we’ll break our word, then do as you please."

"Um..."

"Something else?"

Following Mint’s coy, teary-eyed gaze, Jiang Heyi looked at his right hand. He had intended to say he'd return the hat later, but judging by her expression, she seemed very attached to this slightly dirty witch's hat.

"Here."

Accepting the hat, Mint let out a long sigh of relief, checked it over, and immediately put it back on.

Watching the group walk away, she fumed, "If you all die, I won't have anything left..."

As she prepared to leave this wretched place, she suddenly saw the gray-black bottle on the ground. Picking up the bottle of soul shards, Mint rubbed her neck where the blade had been pressed...

"Better not die... you owe me two more bottles, so you can't die."

When everyone returned to the guild, Zhong Zemo’s shield was just finished. The panting nun and the dragon-girl set down their forging tools and collapsed to sleep.

Fully prepared, they set out again.

The second teleportation landed them once more in the first-floor bathhouse. When they arrived at the Temple of the Guide, the group paused, and under Jiang Heyi’s reminder, they meticulously checked their combat readiness.

The frugal Original-Flavor Fries only then began to use her timed enchantment potions—every bit of efficiency counted.

"Hmm?"

Jiang Heyi turned abruptly, followed by Jailer-Bro. Both had felt a sudden chill in that instant, as if...

"Careful!"

In the center of the temple, dense with illumination crystals, the magic suddenly turned chaotic. The ripples caused by the brief intrusion of an invisible entity overlapped with the hazy, warm light, causing the halos to shimmer.

Orange Tea’s expression froze in a moment of shock. In the next breath, she was hoisted into mid-air.

Saving someone was a purely subconscious act, yet it was this instinct that prevented Jiang Heyi from reacting to the chill enveloping him.

He regretted it the moment he took his first step. A massive surge of magic pierced his chest. From the perspective of the others, his body burst into pieces. Orange Tea and Jiang Heyi were killed in succession.

Original-Flavor Fries reacted to the situation at lightning speed. She... pulled up her interface and was the first to retrieve her high-quality Crystalline Priest Dagger, followed by her necklace.

Having executed this, she reminded the others, "Don't resist, don't waste durability."

Since an ambush had occurred before the tactics could even unfold, there was no point in prolonging the pain; better to suffer a quick death and move to the next run.

Her subconscious reaction to swap gear... she was truly frugal.

The taste of ending before they had even begun was not pleasant. Everyone respawned in the guild, staring at each other in silence.

"Kill order: Orange Tea, me, Fries, Jailer-Bro, Moyu." Original-Flavor Fries was the first to respond.

"The monster's threat assessment of our team."

"Huh?" Orange Tea was bewildered. "Wh-why? Isn't Potato-Bro the strongest? He beat the first form all by himself."

Jiang Heyi was also puzzled when he died, but he soon understood the monster’s logic. The Frog-Headed Amalgamation had clear weaknesses—it feared light, fire, and lightning magic. The unstable combustion potion had mixed light and fire, easily piercing its defenses and rendering it immobile. Its magic-state was its most powerful technique; the massive advantage of invisibility was enough to compensate for the inherent flaws of an undead construct.

And Orange Tea had her "Unknown Revelation."

"That’s not right. I can use light, fire, and lightning magic too. Why wasn't I targeted?" Jailer-Bro was dissatisfied that he had died later.

Original-Flavor Fries reminded him, "To quote that pathetic witch Mint: because you suck."

"Did Orange Tea ever expose her 'Unknown Revelation' or her luck in front of it?" Zhong Zemo struggled to recall. "Wasn't she killed before she could even use it?"

"Perhaps..." Jiang Heyi took a deep breath. "It had already awakened when we entered the first floor and was secretly observing us. The zombie tide wasn't triggered by us, but by it, to collect behavioral data on us."

"As an undead construct, it retains more intelligence than we imagined."

Thinking of how they had been trailed and observed by this ghostly monster since they first arrived, everyone couldn't help but shudder.

Jiang Heyi added, "Unlike what we thought, there is no 'boss room' here. The entire first floor is its active zone. It possesses the ability to learn—not just the learning ability programmed into the game, but the intelligence that constitutes its existence is learning and evolving based on our battles... The more responses we show, the faster it adapts."

Orange Tea murmured, "AI... Our strategies are simultaneously training it."

"The stronger we get, the stronger it becomes."

Zhong Zemo said, "Based on game design, there must be a threshold, a balance point. It’s impossible for it to learn infinitely to the point where players have no counterplay. A game with no positive feedback and no way to win is just trash."

"If we want to clear this quickly without suffering, we must expose as few 'cards' as possible and aim for a one-hit kill," Jiang Heyi pondered, rubbing his chin.

Suddenly, the corners of his mouth turned up.

"It likes to learn, so let's indulge it."

Jailer-Bro asked eagerly, "Any good ideas?"

Jiang Heyi looked at Orange Tea.

Caught under everyone’s gaze, Orange Tea was at a loss. She asked hurriedly, "Me? What can I do? 'Unknown Revelation' can't kill it."

"I have an idea that requires you and Moyu to execute it together."

Hearing the part of Jiang Heyi's plan he was responsible for, Zhong Zemo’s heart pounded, and he couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"Can you do it?" Jiang Heyi asked.

"I think so."

Jiang Heyi recalled, "I remember that before you got married, you were quick to master any game you played."

Jailer-Bro looked up and recalled for a moment. "True. Before the marriage, Moyu, you were the 'thigh' that carried us through. Your collapse into total incompetence only started after you got married."

Psychological pressure and life responsibilities can make a person unable to focus on their passions, leading to further decline.

Jiang Heyi teased, "With great power comes great responsibility, and with less power, less responsibility. For the past two years, you’ve been completely irresponsible. This time, you should at least take some responsibility, right?"

Zhong Zemo laughed. "What, is it my turn to be the 'God of Responsibility' this time... for real?"

"Wow, you couldn't stand up before the divorce, and you couldn't stand up after the divorce. Then wasn't your divorce for nothing?"

Jailer-Bro certainly knew how to talk.