Chapter 306 - 290: You Decide (Part 2)

Chapter 306: Chapter 290: You Decide (Part 2)

Hill said admiringly.

"Not only have you gotten stronger, but your methods have changed quite a bit... I like this simple, brutal approach to revenge."

"So, you came to see me tonight... just to say hello and catch up?"

Zelir asked tentatively, "Don’t tell me you took a contract to work in Black Stone Town?"

"That’s not it."

Hill waved her hand dismissively. "Black Stone Town is my safe haven. I don’t take contracts to kill people here, lest I stir up trouble."

’What a blatant liar,’ Zelir thought.

’Back when we ran into the Drake Squad in the forest, weren’t you the one who slit their throats the most decisively?’

But on second thought.

He realized that Hill probably didn’t even count people who came looking for death as part of her kill count.

’To her, it was probably no different than stepping on a few weeds by the road.’

"So you’re here to..."

"Zelir, I’m here with an invitation."

Hill’s casual smile vanished. Her tone grew more serious as she leaned forward slightly.

"Come on an adventure with me."

"Hm...?"

Zelir wondered if he had misheard.

"Wait... when you say ’adventure,’ is it the same kind of adventure I’m thinking of?"

Zelir felt it was necessary to make sure he and Hill were on the same page about the definition of "adventure."

After all, the Assassin’s Guild’s practice of sneaking into a mansion at midnight to slit someone’s throat could, in a way, be considered an adventure.

"Yes, it’s exactly the kind of adventure you’re thinking of."

Hill nodded.

"On my last trip, I obtained a very detailed map of some ruins... It marks the location of a buried treasure."

"The ruins are teeming with Demons and filled with traps. There’s no way I can get there alone."

"That’s why I need to form a reliable Adventurer Squad with people I can trust."

"To be honest, I haven’t dealt with many ’pure’ Adventurers in my career. The only person I feel I can trust is you."

’So that’s how it is...’

Zelir understood. He spoke bluntly.

"Hill, you should know I won’t team up with just you."

"I know. And there’s Marcus, Valles, and Gray... They’re still on your team, right?"

Hill had anticipated Zelir’s response.

"I can trust them, too. At least, forming a squad to adventure together shouldn’t be a problem."

"I came to you first tonight because I know that even though Marcus is the captain, you’re the core of the squad. They all listen to you."

Hill smiled. "So I wanted to give you a heads-up."

"Of course, I don’t expect you to make a decision based on my word alone. Tomorrow, I’ll properly explain the details to all of you."

"Ultimately, whether you join... is up to all of you."

Hill’s tone softened.

"But I can give you a little preview—this treasure is incredibly tempting... very, very tempting."

’Tempting, huh...’ Zelir’s eyes shifted.

"Well then, I’ll be on my way."

Hill stood up. "Good night."

She stretched like a cat, her tight leather clothing outlining her graceful curves.

Zelir remained seated, staring intently at Hill.

Hill had already swung one long leg onto the windowsill. She glanced back at Zelir.

"Why are you staring... Is there something else you want to ask?"

"No, I’m just curious. I want to see how you leave."

Zelir pointed out the window. "This is the fourth floor."

"No different from the first floor for me," Hill said with a laugh.

She opened the window and leaped out nimbly.

A current of air swirled around her waist and legs, greatly increasing Hill’s control over her body.

Zelir paid close attention.

Although it looked like ordinary Fighting Qi with no Special Attributes.

But upon closer inspection, he could see something.

Hill’s Fighting Qi was paler than ordinary Fighting Qi and had an elusive quality...

’Just like Gray and Valles... Is it a Special Attribute Fighting Qi?’

Outside, Hill’s toes landed precisely on the tiny protrusions of the outer wall. Within a few bounds, she had already reached the ground.

Then, her figure melted into the night and vanished around the corner.

...

「The next day.」

「Noon.」

Normally, this would be the brightest time of day.

But the sky over Black Stone Town was obscured by what looked like a giant gray hand. The leaden clouds hung so low they seemed within reach.

The snow began to fall again, a vast white blanket that blotted out the sky.

The snow on the roads was already deeper than the soles of one’s shoes.

「Drunk Wild Boar Tavern.」

Besides the main hall on the first floor, which was full of drunkards, the second floor had private rooms that offered a good deal of privacy.

「Inside a private room.」

The squad members were all gathered around a table.

Marcus and Valles seemed normal enough. One was drinking, the other polishing his bow.

Only Gray looked like he hadn’t fully woken up, his hair even more disheveled than usual.

"You’re saying... Hill is back?" Marcus asked.

He, too, had a strong impression of the female Assassin.

"Yes. And she says she knows of a very valuable treasure located inside some ruins."

Zelir laced his fingers on the table. "So she wants to invite us to form an Adventurer Squad and explore it with her."

"So she came back to Black Stone Town..."

Gray rubbed his eyes and let out a huge yawn. "I thought we’d never see her again... What do you guys think? Should we team up?"

"Let’s first see what kind of ruins we’re talking about and where it’s located."

Marcus said, glancing at the snowflakes drifting outside the window.

"If it all seems right, I wouldn’t be against going."

After all, winter was fast approaching, and it was snowing more and more frequently.

Gray Wood Forest would soon be inaccessible, and most ordinary commissions would stop.

The Adventurer’s Guild was also about to enter its winter off-season.

If he really sat idle for two months, Marcus was afraid his bones would go soft.

As they were talking, the door to the private room was pushed open.

It was Hill.

"Long time no see, everyone."

After a simple wave to greet them, Hill sat down across from Zelir. "I assume Zelir has told you everything?"

Marcus and the others nodded.

"So..."

Zelir was the first to ask, "What kind of treasure in what kind of ruins are we talking about?"

Hill took a rolled-up map from her sleeve—an exquisite parchment scroll edged with gold thread.

Valles swept the wine cups aside, and they unrolled it on the table.

Everyone gathered around to look.

Unlike a crudely sketched drawing, this map was made with a special ink.

It meticulously depicted the structure of a vast underground complex.

Intricate passages, spiraling corridors, and specially marked rooms were all there.

With any other map, they might have questioned its authenticity, but this one looked like an original blueprint left behind by the architect.

Everyone’s gaze eventually converged on the upper-right corner of the map.

There, an "X" was circled in bright red cinnabar.

Even through the parchment, the red X seemed to exude a tempting, bloody scent.

"This is the map."

Hill said, "The Lost Ruins are located in Sengu Town, to the southeast."

"Sengu Town..." Hearing the name, Marcus grew thoughtful.

"Do you know the place?" Zelir asked.

"I stayed there for a few days while passing through once."

Marcus recalled.

"There is indeed a local rumor about the Lost Ruins."

"But the ruins aren’t always open. At least, they weren’t accessible back when I was there."

"I’ve already looked into it. We’re in luck. The Lost Ruins in Sengu Town just recently reopened."

Hill’s fingers tapped gently on the table.

"Every time the ruins open, they attract a large number of Adventurers. Now is a good time to go."

"The good news is, we won’t have to go in alone. Others will have gone in first and cleared out some of the pesky Demons along the way."

"But we can’t delay for too long, either. Who knows when the Lost Ruins will seal themselves up again."