Su Sheng unfolded the sheepskin parchment he carried, which listed all his mission targets. After crossing off the “Ape King” at the top, the remaining targets were the Holy Knight of the Sacred Mountain and the White Dragon King of Dragon Island.
The Sacred Mountain was far to the north of the continent, a great distance from here. It seemed he would have to change his route.
Just as he was about to put away the parchment, Luo Ren leaned in. His gaze drifted over the parchment, pausing briefly at the words “Sacred Mountain,” and he smiled.
“Norton, don’t forget what you promised me.”
Su Sheng was taken aback.
Had he promised Luo Ren anything?
He mentally reviewed his memories from beginning to end, certain there was no such promise, and frowned. “I don’t recall promising you anything.”
Then, as if remembering something, he added, “Besides, you’re fully recovered now. I assume you can travel on your own without any issues.”
The smile on Luo Ren’s face stiffened. He closed the distance, placing a hand on Su Sheng’s shoulder as if bringing it up casually. “What would it take for you to agree to travel with me?”
Su Sheng expressionlessly brushed Luo Ren’s hand off his shoulder and replied flatly, “Unless you’re injured so badly you can’t walk again.”
Luo Ren regretfully lowered his hand. “Very well.”
…
After leaving Silver Moon Bay, Su Sheng and Luo Ren parted ways. With time to spare, Su Sheng traveled at a leisurely pace, taking in the scenery along the way.
There was just one problem: when a silver wolf lunged at him on the road, his first instinct wasn’t to fire a magic orb but to raise a protective barrier.
Two light magic barriers flared up simultaneously, but one of them was unnecessary. Su Sheng stared at his own hand for a moment, and as he realized what he had done, his expression gradually darkened.
Unbidden, his mind flashed back to the moment when they first entered Silver Moon Bay, the image of an arrow shooting toward him and Luo Ren’s protective stance in front of the ape soldiers.
During breaks, other memories surfaced: meticulous care, teasing laughter in Echo Valley…
He gripped his staff tightly, slamming it into the ground as if in anger, first in disbelief, then in refusal to accept it.
Why was he experiencing emotions like “dependence” and “nostalgia”, feelings that belonged only to the weak?
The golden light magic barrier shimmered brilliantly in the darkness. Before him, the silver wolf gnawed at the barrier. Instead of killing it immediately, Su Sheng vented his frustration by striking it with the shaft of his staff.
The wolf, battered and bruised, yelped and retreated, scampering away.
But Su Sheng remained furious, with a hint of barely perceptible shame, as if angered by the trust he had placed in another person. Rage tinged the corners of his eyes.
After driving off the silver wolf, Su Sheng took a few deep breaths and, in a foul mood, hurried toward the nearest teleportation array.
…
When he arrived, a crowd had gathered around one of the teleportation arrays. Su Sheng had no intention of getting involved, but as he passed by, a bloodstained, dusty crown visible through a gap in the crowd caught his attention.
Voices murmured around him.
“Oh heavens, what happened? This man’s leg is broken.”
“He looks like a prince from some kingdom. If we save him, we might even get a reward.”
Someone nudged the person beside them.
“You go save him.”
“You go.”
“You saw him first. Why don’t you save him?”
“Who knows if he’s really a prince! What if he’s trying to scam me? I might end up losing my own money without getting any reward!”
The crown, so familiar that Su Sheng would recognize it even if he were blind, told him that the “prince” they were talking about must be Luo Ren.
Seeing the crowd merely watching the spectacle, with no one actually stepping forward to help, a sudden surge of anger welled up in Su Sheng’s heart. This anger was inexplicable, yet it drove him to stride forward immediately. However, he abruptly stopped as soon as he realized what he was doing.
At that moment, he had no time to wonder why Luo Ren was here or why he was so severely injured. All he knew was that an unfamiliar feeling was rising within him, compelling him to take action.
Fortunately, the onlookers were focused on the scene ahead, and no one noticed his strange behavior.
Su Sheng’s expression darkened further.
At the same time, a pained groan came from ahead.
Luo Ren lay on the ground, his face twisted in agony, unconscious and utterly disheveled.
His clothes were torn to shreds, and the wound on his chest was deep, with blood soaking the surrounding ground. The most critical injuries were on his knees, which were barely held together by skin and flesh.
Su Sheng’s hands, hidden beneath his sleeves, clenched tightly, his nails almost digging into his palms. He should leave, Su Sheng thought.
But his body moved forward uncontrollably, especially after Luo Ren let out another unconscious groan. Su Sheng’s steps unconsciously quickened.
Forget it, saving him comes first.
Su Sheng sighed.
He first took out the few remaining healing potions he had and gave them to Luo Ren, then cast a light magic dispel spell to drive away the dark demonic aura lingering around Luo Ren’s wounds.
Then, using magic, he lifted Luo Ren and headed toward the nearest Healer’s Guild.
…
“He was attacked by a silver wolf and then accidentally ate a stinkfruit, which poisoned him,” said a healing mage who emerged from the room.
“Stinkfruit?” Su Sheng frowned. “What’s that?”
The mage chuckled. “You must be outsiders, right? It’s a local fruit here. It can be used to stave off hunger in critical moments, but if you’re bitten by a silver wolf and accidentally eat this fruit, you’ll fall into a coma.”
“But it’s nothing serious. I’ll just give him a specially prepared antidote,” the mage added.
Su Sheng nodded and handed the mage two gold coins. “Thank you for your trouble.”
Not long after the antidote was administered, Luo Ren showed signs of waking up.
Su Sheng sat on a small chair nearby, finally having the time to piece everything together from start to finish.
First, he had gone to the teleportation array. Luo Ren must have known where he was heading. Then, Luo Ren coincidentally appeared nearby, severely injured. Recalling his parting words, Su Sheng’s expression darkened, and his gaze toward Luo Ren grew more suspicious.
He couldn’t help but wonder: Why was Luo Ren so determined to travel with him?
At that moment, Luo Ren, lying nearby, opened his eyes, his emerald-green gaze fixed unwaveringly on Su Sheng.
A faint smile had just begun to form on Luo Ren’s lips when it froze. At the same time, a calm voice sounded from above:
“Tell me, what exactly are you scheming by sticking so closely to me?”
Su Sheng: Speak up. What are you scheming?