027 Calculation of Intent

The campfire crackled in the night, occasionally sending sparks spiraling upward to mingle with the stars among the trees—though those were actually nameless, firefly-like creatures drifting slowly through the sunless Emerald Forest. Because it had rained the day before and the canopy was so dense, the ground remained damp in many places, making it quite difficult to find a dry, open spot to set up camp. Still, tonight was far better than the last.

When they had camped the previous night, the lack of dry fuel had made lighting a fire a laborious task. The initial flames produced thick, black smoke that left the group scrambling in chaos. It wasn't until the woman in the black cloak walked over and, with a whistling rush of wind, slashed her sword through the air, scattering the entire fire pile, that the embarrassing fate of being choked to death was narrowly avoided. After that incident, Duan Qing had specifically researched the flammability of various plants in the Emerald Forest, only to discover that most were difficult to ignite—but that was a story for another time.

The woman ignored their expressions of gratitude, choosing instead to sit apart and nibble on a piece of hard bread from her pack. The young girl hesitated, wanting to go over and thank her again, perhaps trying to comfort the woman who seemed to be in such a foul mood, but Duan Qing stopped her.

"It’s no use going over there. She won’t pay you any attention," Duan Qing said. "Besides... she isn't the type to fall apart so easily."

Though a bit disappointed and skeptical, the girl ultimately stayed put. The group worked together to pitch their tents and then began discussing the night watch while they ate. Duan Qing was quite interested, as he had rarely seen the wilderness at night in "World of Freedom," so he volunteered for the task.

The men certainly wouldn't let the girl take on such a duty, so they decided to take turns—one or two hours per person—which would cover the night. They talked about topics related to their mission: where that NPC might have gone, his potential fate, the strange knocking sounds from earlier, and that terrifying giant serpent... Amidst the lingering fear, there was also a sense of curiosity.

Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to find any more traces, and the battle was too harrowing to dwell on. After racking their brains, they realized there weren't many other leads to discuss. After a while, A-Niu and Jiecheng E-Shao each found a corner and settled down to rest—Duan Qing had taken the first watch.

The tent was not large, but it wasn't small either. It was pitched near a large tree, and if they squeezed, three or four people could sleep inside without issue. Meng Zhu took the innermost spot, which was safer and shielded from the wind. Before going in, she hesitated, then turned and walked toward the cloaked figure sitting against the roots of a nearby tree. The figure sat with legs curled, arms wrapped around knees, and head bowed.

"Um..." the girl's voice was still a bit nervous. "Would you like to..."

"No, thank you." The hood of the cloak tilted slightly, and the woman’s uniquely indifferent voice echoed.

"Oh..."

Meng Zhu hesitated, unwilling to leave, still intending to offer some comfort. The woman finally lifted her head completely. Due to the hood, Meng Zhu could only see the part below her mouth; in the glow of the campfire, her fair skin and rosy lips possessed a stunning beauty of perfect proportions.

However, the girl didn't notice this—the eyes hidden beneath the cloak were bright and cold, their gaze as piercing and bitter as ice, stabbing straight into one's heart.

This experience left Meng Zhu feeling a mix of strong dislike and deep fear toward the woman, who was called Xue Ling Huan Bing. For quite some time after, the girl would complain indignantly: "What is she so stuck up about? Isn't she just a higher level..."

Of course, that is a story for another time.

Duan Qing had naturally noticed these interesting dynamics, but he chose to ignore them. The girl was inherently kind-hearted and would surely encounter more malice in the future; compared to the incident at the inn, this moment was relatively mild. Regardless, experiencing such things would do her no harm.

With this in mind, Duan Qing looked back toward the black figure by the tree. A patch of white, stained armor peeked through a gap in the black cloak. From this angle, he could see a long object held horizontally across the middle of the cloak; he presumed it was the woman's sword resting on her lap. Noticing his gaze, the eyes under the hood flickered toward him. Seemingly realizing that her warning glare was ineffective on this obviously more mature player, she swept her gaze around the perimeter before lowering her head once more.

*You make your wariness so obvious, it makes things awkward for everyone...*

Duan Qing could roughly understand Xue Ling Huan Bing’s mood, but that was as far as it went. Due to past heartbreak, he viewed women with a particular clarity lately, as if he had suddenly stepped out of a chess game to become a mere spectator. However, he wasn't interested in that right now, so understanding was one thing, but intervening was quite another.

He walked to a nearby fallen log and sat down, beginning to observe the surroundings.

The log had been there for some time, covered in moss and strange, mushroom-like plants. After a brief search, he found a spot to sit. As he sat, the campfire light hit him from the side, casting his shadow far into the distance, where it was broken into countless fragments by the scattered weeds and bushes, spilling into the forest night. He closed his eyes and focused for a moment, then began to listen for movement.

Surrounded by trees, the firelight could not reach very far. As far as his eyes could see, there were only trunks that vanished into the darkness and the various silhouettes extending from the ground to the trees. Duan Qing looked left and right but found nothing worthy of note. He knew that since night had only just fallen, monsters wouldn't appear so quickly, and if they really did encounter one, he would likely be unable to stop it anyway.

The initial plan for the night watch was simply to wake everyone up if danger arrived, and then... they would run as fast as they could.

In his mind, Meng Zhu’s warning still echoed: "Don't disturb anything you see, because we have light, and monsters won't come near on their own; they fear the light at night, so just let them pass... If something really does come, wake the sleepers, and we'll run for our lives. Just use a torch to drive them off, and then it’s all up to luck..."

"Up to luck" was just a hopeful way of saying they wouldn't run straight into the territory of some other beast.

Thus, this kind of night watch served little purpose other than sounding an alarm. It would have been fine for everyone to rest, but the thought of being killed in one's sleep was still frightening. Not to mention the mission, even for a standard adventure, going through the motions provided an immersive experience. If they were forced to wake up and put up a fight, even if they died, there would be no regrets—at least they would have a story to brag about to others later.

*Thinking about it, aside from experts confident in their skills, only someone curious like me would do this...* Duan Qing thought, glancing at Xue Ling Huan Bing again. In the deepening night, the woman’s figure was as quiet as water. Perhaps finding her posture uncomfortable, she leaned her long sword vertically against her right side. The silver hilt rested atop the black scabbard, with a strip of black cloth wrapped around the grip; a small frayed end fluttered gently in the breeze. A faint blue light emanated from the silver handguard, as if it were set with gems.

Her fair left hand gripped the area just below the guard tightly.

*Well, at least we have an expert, and a very vigilant one at that...*

The night passed peacefully. Duan Qing didn't see any creatures during his watch—much to his disappointment—though Jiecheng E-Shao was quite excited the next morning, showing off that he had seen a few wolves pass by in the distance.

Because they were too far away, E-Shao hadn't seen them clearly. But this didn't diminish his story, as he claimed the eyes of those "wolves" had left a deep impression on him.

"The eyes of those wolves were glowing! Red, green, blue... all sorts of colors, it was so eerie..."

The others were filled with curiosity and hurried to ask what was going on, but E-Shao stammered and couldn't provide a clear answer. A-Niu was a simpleton who didn't know how to lie, and having only played the game for a few days, he didn't know whether to believe or doubt it. Instead, it was Meng Zhu who shared what she knew: "I... our old team encountered these creatures. They are very powerful. We fought them back then, and many people died..."

"Actually, there are many night-time monsters that are the same as the day-time ones, but they become incredibly strong at night. No one knows why..."

The girl’s voice turned tearful as she spoke: "Wuwu... I didn't want to hide it, it's just... if we run into them, we'll definitely die... They can even cast magic..."

"Alright, alright, no one is blaming you. It's not a big deal..."

"Yeah, like you said, knowing about it doesn't change anything—if we meet them, we're dead anyway."

"In that case, we're actually quite lucky, hahahaha..."

"Magic-corrupted creatures."

Amidst the chorus of comfort, those four words rang out abruptly. The group looked toward the source: the cloaked woman.

Those four words seemed to have a magical effect; the discussions, comforts, and crying all ceased instantly. Amidst A-Niu’s blank expression, Meng Zhu and Jiecheng E-Shao exchanged looks of uncertainty. Duan Qing, ever eager to learn, leaned toward the woman: "Oh? What are magic-corrupted creatures? Tell us more."

The woman gave him an indifferent look, ignored him, and walked away, showing no intention of explaining. Duan Qing pressed for a long while, but seeing that she truly had no desire to elaborate, he waved his hand at the others and dropped the matter.

After this brief interlude, they spent another day searching the forest, but progress remained near zero. After those four words, the woman barely spoke, save for necessary communication. When Duan Qing occasionally observed her, she was always tilting her head, her gaze drifting as if lost in thought. Sometimes she would notice his stare, and only after he turned away would she look at the man who had been watching her, her eyes indifferent.

*Hmph, I’ve seen countless men like him, always thinking they can watch without being noticed...*

The aimless searching and endless chatter continued until the second night. As the group prepared to find a place to camp without having gained any ground, things finally began to change.

"Who exactly... are you looking for?" Xue Ling Huan Bing asked, sitting by the large tree as usual.

"Ah hahaha, that would be..." Duan Qing replied.

As the "big shot" of their little team, she felt she had to do something. Although she was a drifter who had joined temporarily and didn't know the others well, how many people in online games actually knew their temporary party members?

But the point was, after watching from the sidelines all day, she realized these people were quite unreliable. Aside from the man who seemed like a veteran player, the other two men were clearly novices, and the girl named Meng Zhu had some experience but lacked the strength... Their wilderness experience was abysmal, their night-time defenses were non-existent, and it was only thanks to her keeping watch that no monster like that giant serpent had found them... They claimed to be looking for someone, yet their daytime actions lacked any plan; they spent the whole day talking about professional players, and she had even caught them walking in circles...

If she didn't step in, even without danger, these people would likely starve to death here.

Jiecheng E-Shao and Liu Qingniu were helping to stake the tent, with Meng Zhu directing them. She heard the woman's question, but remembering the cold shoulder she’d received the night before, she decided to ignore her and let the "bad uncle" who had already walked over handle it.

"Ah hahaha, well... the great expert finally wants to help us. How joyous, how joyous..." Duan Qing walked over, feigning surprise.

*So you were waiting for me to help the whole time, and you don't even know who I am...* The woman gritted her teeth inwardly, though her face remained expressionless: "Then tell me: the person's background, appearance, and any clues you have..."

Duan Qing sat cross-legged beside her, only to find to his annoyance that she shifted slightly away. He smiled casually, maintaining an air of friendliness: "The man's name is Trick, Trick Ozich. He's a boy's father. I don't know what he looks like, but his profession should be a Forest Ranger..."

"Forest Ranger? Never heard of it..."

"It’s probably someone who protects the forest, occasionally giving necessary assistance to people who want to enter..."

Amidst the back-and-forth, Xue Ling Huan Bing finally understood their situation. She frowned and thought for a moment, as if facing a difficult decision, then hesitated: "So, you have no leads, yet you're helping a child find his father?"

She gestured to their surroundings: "In this... forest?"

Duan Qing understood her meaning and shrugged helplessly: "We did have a plan at the beginning, but for... some reasons, it ended up like this. Don't worry, we're confident, even though this place is huge... uh, it really is a bit too big..."

As Duan Qing rambled, Xue Ling Huan Bing’s eyes widened, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Her guild had mobilized so much manpower and made so many preparations for a rumored ruin in the forest, even sending her with an elite squad to scout. Though the cold reality made her realize they had underestimated this eerie place, these people...

These people had prepared almost nothing, charged into the same place, and—most incredibly—had saved her!

Duan Qing looked at the woman’s vacant expression, wondering why she liked to space out so much... then noticed she was looking at him with a strange gaze, as if he were a lunatic.

"Uh, what's wrong..."

The woman took a breath, as if using great willpower to calm herself down, then asked again: "You... you are players born in Greenstone Village, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"No, nothing..." Xue Ling Huan Bing didn't press further, a sudden flash of insight crossing her mind.

*Perhaps everyone here adventures like this. They don't need preparation; they're used to this situation...*

This forest was so bizarre. The monster her team encountered shortly after entering was so powerful that even if the Guild Leader had come in person, they likely wouldn't have fared well... yet today, although she had been listless, looking back, they hadn't encountered any real danger...

The data provided by Wuji Huanshen hadn't mentioned this. Considering their starting location, or perhaps their level...

Connecting these dots, she deduced that the only difference between her party and theirs was that her party's levels were too high...

*Could it be that this forest or those ruins have some strange defense mechanism that triggered a counter-measure against a powerhouse like me, which is why that serpent monster appeared?*

Thoughts raced through her mind like lightning. She looked up and began questioning them again, but this time, a faint, subtle smile played on her lips: "Do you... uh, do you frequent this forest? How much do you really know about this place..."

A flicker of surprise crossed Duan Qing’s eyes, and the interrogation continued. Once the details were settled and the group began their dinner, the woman subconsciously pulled the edge of her hood tighter, frowning in thought.

*It seems there really is a turning point here. As long as I make good use of these people...*

On the other side, Meng Zhu bit into a pancake and asked vaguely: "What did that woman talk to you about?"

"What else? The situation with us looking for the guy. Nothing worth hiding..."

Under the girl's suspicious gaze, Duan Qing summarized the conversation and mentioned the potential expert's willingness to help.

"We're set! With an expert like that helping us, our mission is as good as done..." A-Niu waved his arm, excited. E-Shao, on the other hand, had the same suspicion as the girl, but he watched Duan Qing with a suggestive look: "But she was so cold to us before, and now she wants to help. Is it because..."

The direction of his suspicion was clearly different.

"Hey, hey, don't look at me like that. The way she looked at me earlier was like I was a lunatic, and now you guys look at me like I'm her lover..."

"Now that E-Shao mentions it, I think so too... I think..." Recalling the occasional glances between the two throughout the day, the girl became increasingly excited: "Did she... fall for you?"

*Smack.* Duan Qing covered his face with one hand.

"What are you all thinking..."

Amidst the collective accusation, Duan Qing smiled helplessly, outwardly denying the baseless claims while inwardly glancing at the woman in the corner.

Her beautiful face held a smile as she watched their playful bickering, appearing quite interested.

He turned back, waving his hands with a cold sweat while facing their righteous criticism, but his inner conviction grew stronger.

*This woman...*