Volume 5 Chapter 32: Qingming

Outside the Hill Giant’s cave, a woman was lying in the bushes in the forest, her eyes shining brightly as she stared at the fierce battle inside the cave. The woman wore a sleeveless leather armor and a black leather miniskirt. Her long, pencil-thin legs were clad in red tall leather boots, and her fair small hands wore a pair of fingerless leather gloves.

This simple outfit outlined her slender waist and perfectly rounded hip curves. If not for her flat chest, she could have been described as having a devilish figure. The woman had a charming face with a bright red dot in the center of her forehead. Her expression was blank, carrying an icy, aloof aura that kept people at a distance. She was the female elf named Qingming from the enemy team.

Beside Qingming lay a pale yellow Scottish longbow and a quiver of long arrows. She gently reached out to push aside the bushes in front of her and looked toward the cave on the hillside. The entrance to the Hill Giant’s cave was spacious. Even though the battle was taking place deep inside, she could still vaguely see the general situation.

However, because both the Hill Giant and the Inferno Hound were very large, and they were tangled together rolling on the ground, everything was covered in a gray haze. Qingming could not clearly see Qin Lun’s performance in the battle.

The female elf pondered for a moment, then quietly stood up. She slung the quiver on her back, gripped the longbow, and stealthily moved around the front of the cave, approaching the entrance.

It was noon, and the sunlight shone directly onto the open space in front of the cave without any obstruction. Qingming was not afraid of her shadow on the ground giving away her position. She silently pressed close to the cave entrance, took out a curved reflecting mirror from her bosom, placed one end against her eye, and extended the other end just a little, secretly observing the battle inside the cave.

“Qingming, how is it on your end? Is that elf an Apostle?” A steady male voice reached the female elf’s ears.

“Still can’t confirm!” Qingming watched the battle scene in the reflecting mirror, her willow-like eyebrows tightly furrowed.

She had been following Qin Lun for several days but still could not confirm his true identity. Although the male elf before her showed no flaws, Qingming always felt subconsciously that something was wrong with him.

Even though the male elf inside had summoned a hellhound, the Nals Inner World also had a Purgatory Abyss. There was no indication that elves could not summon demonic creatures. The revolver in his hand was even more ordinary. It had to be known that the Nars main world was currently in its third technological revolution, and many police and security personnel preferred to equip themselves with revolvers.

Compared to magazine-fed pistols, revolvers did not jam. Having a dud round in the cylinder did not affect the firing of the next bullet, making them more suitable for police and security personnel. For these two types of personnel, if their pistol jammed in an emergency, it would endanger their own safety.

“Leader, we’ve already started the action over here. Even if that male elf is an Apostle, he’s probably not with the same group. Otherwise, why would he abandon his team and hunt the young Hill Giant alone? Let Qingming come back. With her long-range support, our chances of wiping out this group completely would be much greater!” Sen’s voice sounded in the Team Channel. Seeing that he could soon avenge his brother, he seemed somewhat excited.

“Qingming, what do you think?” After a moment of silence in the Team Channel, the big man’s voice finally sounded.

“Leader, let me observe a little longer. I have a feeling that this elf should be connected to that group.” Qingming said hesitantly in a soft voice, “Besides, it’s just too much of a coincidence that right after that group lured away the adult Hill Giant, he abandoned his companion in danger and came back to trouble the young Hill Giant!”

Qingming had been following Qin Lun and Casey, so of course she had witnessed the previous scene. However, although she thought of this coincidence, she did not dwell much on Casey’s peril. In the female elf’s view, the new members of the Sanctuary Camp had only known each other for a few days, and it was not strange to be unwilling to take a risk for a stranger.

In fact, if Qingming understood the relationship between Casey and Master Vima, then she could confirm Qin Lun’s identity as an Apostle. Because no new storyline member would dare to offend a Grand Druid from the management committee by leaving her nephew in danger without regard.

“Hmm, I think so too! But… be careful, this group is not simple!” The big man said, paused for a moment, and reminded her seriously.

Qingming was startled. Their leader, who originally did not pay much attention to the opponent’s strength, was actually reminding her so cautiously. This indicated that he must have seen something that changed his original thoughts.

“Leader, did something happen on your side?” Qingming immediately pressed.

“Nothing much. That group’s battle has just started too, and we are still observing. It’s just… they actually created an artificial swamp in the forest and really trapped the adult Hill Giant!” The big man turned his head and glared fiercely at the Rogue in the team, smiling bitterly as he said, “That fool Yu Mo followed them for several days and actually didn’t discover this at all.”

“They went out in two separate groups each time…” Yu Mo awkwardly lowered his head, stammering in a low voice to explain.

“Leader, you can’t blame Yu Mo entirely. Didn’t I also follow the opponent for two days and discover nothing!” Qingming’s cool voice sounded in the Team Channel. “Leader, is it because of this that you suspect the male elf I’m tracking is also related to that team?”

“Hmm, although Yu Mo is a fool, he did follow them for a full three days. They created such a large area of swamp, and he didn’t find any clues at all. This suggests there might be a scouting expert in the team keeping an eye on Yu Mo. And given that group’s strength, the likelihood of them having an A-grade or above scouting skill is very low. Only an elf would meet this requirement.” The bloodthirsty young man named Kael in the team ridiculed without reservation.

“Of course, this isn’t the only possibility. Bloodlines with strong scouting talents, group Summoners and Puppet Masters, or hiring other forest creatures to help create the swamp could also achieve the effect of hiding it from that fool Yu Mo!”

“I’m not a fool!” Yu Mo said with a bitter face, muttering under his breath.

“Whether he has a connection with that team or not, we’ll know if we test him!” A glint flashed in Qingming’s eyes as she tightened her grip on the Scottish longbow.

…

Qin Lun steadily aimed the Burial of Light and Darkness, firing the bullets one by one. He occasionally used Ballistic Refraction to avoid accidentally injuring Cerberus.

Under this steady output, the young Hill Giant’s already injured ankle gradually became a bloody mess. A bloody hole was blasted open, filled with dense shrapnel. Even tendons and bones could be seen within the flesh, and a large swelling rose beside the wound.

Cerberus, on its first hunt, slowly got used to the young Hill Giant’s movement rhythm. It advanced and retreated freely amidst the giant’s roars, slowly and steadily draining the young Hill Giant’s blood with its claws and teeth. It carefully avoided the opponent’s fists, not giving it another chance to strike itself.

Whenever the young Hill Giant tried to charge at Qin Lun, the Inferno Hound would pounce on it from behind. And when it tangled with the Inferno Hound, the marksman opposite would very annoyingly aim at its vital spots, either its eyes or its injured ankle, preventing it from seriously wounding the Inferno Hound.

The blood-red color in the young Hill Giant’s eyes gradually faded, and its eyeballs rolled around. The anger from its destroyed toy had vanished, and the life-threatening serious danger finally made it think of retreating. The force of its attacks on the Inferno Hound also slowed down. It protected its face with its arms, dragging its injured leg as it slowly retreated.

Still not enough? Seeing this, Qin Lun sighed inwardly. Just then, he suddenly had a feeling and sharply looked up toward the cave entrance.

“Need some help?” The noon sun shone into the cave entrance, bathing it in a golden glow. At that moment, a slender figure stood at the cave entrance, holding a longbow, her back to the sunlight. Her ponytail fluttered in the forest breeze, and her athletic figure appeared heroic and spirited.

“Huh? You are…” Qin Lun slightly squinted his eyes, raised his palm high, and flatly blocked it in front of his eyebrows, as if trying hard to see the figure’s face clearly. However, the figure’s back was filled with the golden light of the sun, making it a bit hard for him to adjust.

“We met at the camp. My name is Qingming. I’m also a Half-elf.” Qingming took a few steps forward, cautiously entering the cave so Qin Lun could see her face clearly, showing she meant no harm. But her face still carried an aloof expression.

“Qing…ming? It’s an honor to meet you! I am Qin Lun, and this is my partner—Cerberus!” The young man revealed a charming smile, one that even Qingming seemed to feel, warm like a spring breeze. “Cerberus, come back!”

The Inferno Hound whimpered, leaped away from the young Hill Giant, and ran back to Qin Lun’s side. It stuck out its tongue, warily watching the uninvited guest at the cave entrance. The young Hill Giant caught in the middle was in a dilemma, looking miserably at one, then the other, baring its teeth fiercely but without real threat.

“I mean no harm. If you don’t need help, I’ll leave now.” Qingming said indifferently. She flicked the ponytail behind her head and turned to leave the cave.

But the female elf was thinking to herself that if Qin Lun did not want her help, then without a doubt, he was an Apostle.

Because only an Apostle would reject others’ help in such a situation to avoid affecting the completion of the Main Quest. Not to mention that the hunt this person was currently undertaking very much resembled the Main Quest “Source of Power” that they had given up.

As long as Qin Lun spoke to refuse, she would re-enter the forest and lie in wait nearby, ready to profit as the third party. If Qin Lun agreed to let her help and showed no suspicious behavior during the battle, then she would have a good chance to return to her team and help the others eliminate the enemy team.

Qingming was very confident that at such a close distance observing the battle, it would be unlikely for the other party to conceal their Apostle skills and methods any longer.

“No, please wait. Cerberus and I are having a bit of a hard time dealing with this Hill Giant. Having a fellow tribesman’s help would be really great!” Qin Lun called out to Qingming with a smile, showing a trace of sincerity on his face. “If we kill this Hill Giant, you can pick the loot first!”

“Oh?” Qingming was slightly taken aback, frowned, turned around, and stared at Qin Lun with her light blue eyes, as if trying to discern the truthfulness of his words. But soon, she gave a faint smile. “No need. I’m only here to help. Asking for a reward would defeat the purpose!”

Whether what he said was true or false, as long as I cause significant damage to the Hill Giant—even if it’s just over 10% of its Health Points—it would affect his Main Quest. If it exceeds 30%, it would definitely cause his Main Quest to fail. I don’t believe you can hold back then, especially since I’m alone right now!

A sharp light surged in Qingming’s eyes. She raised the longbow with her right hand, reached behind her back with her left hand, and pulled a Fine Iron Long Arrow from the quiver, nocking it onto the longbow. The entire process was filled with a flowing, graceful beauty.