Chapter Eighty-One: The Mission

“What’s wrong?” Zhao Xu countered.

This carriage, which had originally been converted into a cargo wagon by removing the rear cover, had been painstakingly restored to its original form by the attendants at Roya’s request, a task that had taken nearly an hour.

The only drawback was that the wheels would shudder intermittently, causing the carriage itself to creak and rattle with every jolt.

The road across the plain was smooth enough, yet the four members of Maple Leaf’s party had their minds elsewhere, unable to appreciate this rare treat of traveling by carriage.

They all gazed at Zhao Xu with a mixture of respect and bewilderment, as if trying to discern something extraordinary from his moderately handsome face, blessed with a charisma of thirteen.

At present, the progress of players was obvious to all; those who had managed to reach level two were mostly warriors or barbarians—combat-focused classes.

Spellcasters, on the other hand, had only just graduated, barely setting foot on the path to glory. Reaching level two was a distant prospect, and even configuring all their skill points and feats was a challenge.

Arthur’s character sheets were crystal clear; every ability was precisely defined for each individual.

Thus, they simply couldn’t comprehend how Zhao Xu had managed to surpass these limits.

To outsiders, this was nothing more than a game.

But for many Arthur players, it had become a way of life.

“If I told you that the wraith left of its own accord, would you believe me?” Zhao Xu asked after a moment’s thought.

All four shook their heads in unison, with Yoyo shaking hers most emphatically.

Yet, their gazes towards Zhao Xu shifted subtly. They hadn’t expected him, their savior, to be so unwilling to claim credit.

Powerful players were always bathed in the admiration of others.

Especially since Arthur’s only opportunity for in-game purchases was the one-time 300-coin bonus for a set of clothing.

“What if I said I ‘turned’ it?” Zhao Xu continued after a brief pause.

“Midsummer, we can’t turn such a high-level undead,” Yoyo interjected.

Zhao Xu was surprised that the unassuming priestess had, for once, hit upon the truth by sheer luck.

The wraith wasn’t truly high-level; whether one could turn undead depended on their hit dice—HD—not their challenge rating.

Unfortunately, wraiths possessed turn resistance, making them equivalent to undead with four extra hit dice.

“This is actually part of a quest I received,” Zhao Xu began, adopting a thoughtful expression, as if weighed down by a tangle of concerns.

Even Maple Leaf, the most composed of the warriors, couldn’t help but twist his vigilant posture towards the carriage door so he could better listen in.

“Can you keep a secret for me?” Zhao Xu suddenly raised his voice slightly.

The four companions nodded eagerly, their faces alight with enthusiasm and anticipation.

Gossip, after all, was the most effective way to lower anyone’s guard.

“This concerns a history that stretches back over a thousand years,” Zhao Xu intoned.

At these words, Yoyo was the first to draw a deep breath, as if transported to that fateful era of legend.

The carriage, cobbled together from steel plates, seemed to grow enchanted, Zhao Xu’s voice echoing in their ears like a spell.

Every player dreamed of the moment an NPC would tell them, “I have a quest that will decide the fate of this world.”

“A few days ago, I was just an ignorant apprentice,” Zhao Xu said, tilting his head to gaze at the drafty ceiling.

At that moment, South Pole Frog, the bard, felt that Midsummer seemed more like a poet than ever.

“That day, my mentor was about to leave me. At the last moment, she entrusted me with a grave task.”

“For generations, my teacher’s lineage has borne a heavy burden of sacrifice—both guardianship and bondage.”

“Now, at last, there is a chance for change, a chance for release.”

“If only I can bring a certain—someone to Mystra.”

“This concerns the fate of our entire school, the future of our organization.”

Zhao Xu deliberately used the double meanings of Arthur’s common tongue, speaking truths that invited misinterpretation.

In reality, his quest was simply to escort himself to Mystra.

As for the school’s fate and the organization’s future, Zhao Xu was certainly involved—albeit only in a small way.

Change and release were inevitable; once Zhao Xu became a high-level mage, he would naturally relieve other mages of their burdens. Was that not a form of deliverance?

“Wow.” Before the rogue could ask what that “something” was, Yoyo, the priestess, gasped in awe, her eyes shining as she gazed at Zhao Xu.

The lonely protagonist, exiled from home to fulfill his mentor’s dying wish, surviving encounters with a wild druid who summoned storms to ravage forests, facing down a mysterious wraith lord who left ten homes empty for every one that stood, and driving it away with a single stroke.

And the hero endured it all because he had four brave adventurers at his back, companions of courage and wisdom who helped him overcome every obstacle.

A story titled “The Steadfast Hero Bearing a Heavy Destiny” was already blossoming in Yoyo’s heart.

“So, for this escort mission, I have a few single-use trinkets. They’re ordinary items, but in certain situations, they can produce miraculous effects. This is the foundation of our organization’s strength.”

“That’s why I hope you’ll keep my secret, lest I become a target for others with connections to my group.”

“Otherwise, I could have made the journey alone and wouldn’t have needed to risk traveling with smugglers,” Zhao Xu finished, emphasizing the words “smuggling caravan.”

The four immediately blushed.

Working for a smuggling caravan was nothing to be proud of.

Most members of this group were martial artists, not properly trained warriors, and there was a reason for that.

True warriors looked down on such work.

Let alone a team with Yoyo, a devotee of the goddess, who would dare serve as a bodyguard for smugglers.

Clerics and paladins of good-aligned deities could always pull every stray arrow back onto the right path.

“We messed something up and owe a huge debt,” Maple Leaf confessed quietly.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu understood. No wonder they’d boarded this particular carriage—they were drowning in debt.

They hadn’t realized why this smuggling group had refused every other hitchhiker, taking only them.

Clearly, the journey ahead would involve secrets best left unspoken.

They couldn’t risk letting locals from Hurricane City find out, but they needed players who could be resurrected, so that after reviving, they would spread word of what they had witnessed.

In other words, the reward for Maple Leaf’s group already included their four resurrection stones.

“But Midsummer, aren’t you curious why we owe so much money?” Yoyo pressed him.

“I don’t intend to pay your debt, so why should I ask?” Zhao Xu replied, somewhat puzzled.

“…”