Inside the main command tent of the Rogue Encampment's military barracks, Kashya, the big boss, sat with an air of absolute authority, scrutinizing Leo with a face full of disdain.
Big sister, your gaze and figure are indeed hot enough. Unfortunately, I am a man who has been inspected by an unknown Great Being; this little pressure of yours is really just a light drizzle.
After scrutinizing him for a long while, Kashya flashed a satisfied smile. "You're called Leo, right? You've been making quite a name for yourself lately, though your strength is still a bit weak. I do have a matter here that needs someone to complete. You might want to think it over first; if things go wrong, people could die."
Leo felt a surge of joy—it worked—but kept his expression neutral. "Lady Kashya, I am all ears."
Leo's calm demeanor was exactly to Kashya's liking. She nodded and began explaining the situation: "I have a dear sister. Ten years ago, she was corrupted and fell to Diablo. At that time, five heroes helped release her. But what I didn't expect was that this time she was targeted by Andariel; she has been resurrected once more, wandering the Burial Grounds."
Kashya stopped halfway. Leo felt this manner of speaking was somewhat familiar, so he had no choice but to take the initiative: "So, what do you need me to do, Milady? Help release her once again?"
"It's not that simple. You must keep what follows a secret, or else..." Kashya grinned halfway through, her snow-white teeth flashing in a cold sneer.
The atmosphere instantly turned frigid. Leo felt as if Kashya might crush him to death at any moment, and his brain began working at high speed.
"Lady Kashya, what are you saying? I am simply here to accept a mission from you to slay a projection."
"Warrior Leo, you are very good. Catch," Kashya stopped her sneering and once again showed a satisfied smile, tossing over an emerald-green stone and a piece of parchment. "This is a Soulstone; this kind of stone was what once sealed the Three Prime Evils. I want you to slay the projection of Blood Raven. The Soulstone will quietly seal her soul. When successful, bring the stone back and hand it to me. Once the deed is done, your squad will receive a special reward."
Cold sweat broke out on Leo's brow. Stealing someone from under Andariel's nose—he'd likely be targeted to death if he continued to hang around this region. Furthermore, Soulstones were not exactly "good" things; this thing was a hot potato. Have I just gotten myself entangled in the internal power struggles of the Alliance high-ups? Despite his heart being full of reluctance, his mouth was full of the will to survive.
"Lady Kashya, please await my good news." After speaking, Leo followed protocol and slowly backed out of the tent.
"Sister Kashya, why are you scaring the young man like that?" Kyoko rounded out from the back of the tent, her voice as hormone-filled as ever.
"This little brat actually incited Sike to probe for intelligence on military restricted areas. If I hadn't seen that the boy is decent enough, I would have skinned him alive."
Kyoko looked at Kashya meaningfully. "Sister, it's best if it really is just like that."
Leo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. This tigress was formidable; her hot figure was matched by a hot temper. Better to provoke her as little as possible in the future. She seemed to have given him a piece of parchment as well. Opening it, he found it was actually a map, recording most areas of the Blood Moor and parts of the Cold Plains. The route to the Burial Grounds was already marked on it; it seemed Kashya had been planning this for a long time.
{Beep. Fragmented maps of Blood Moor and Cold Plains detected. Read?}
Leo immediately chose to agree. A surge of hidden energy scanned the parchment, and then a large area on his mini-map lit up.
Feeling like he had completed enough for the day, and with it being dinner time, he figured his two teammate "tools" could handle the chores. Maybe he should go have a drink at the tavern. Leo pondered as he walked, his steps involuntarily leading him toward the tavern.
As soon as he entered, a massive wave of low-quality alcohol mixed with the stench of sweat hit Leo, nearly knocking him over, but he didn't care. He skillfully found a seat and ordered a strong ale and dinner. Feeling as if he'd had a shot of adrenaline, he excitedly pricked up his ears to enjoy the fantasy-world version of a bar scene.
"I'll tell you a secret quietly, but you must never tell anyone else."
That voice... sounds a bit familiar. Leo's attention shifted. It was Sael again, drinking cheap ale and whispering into the ear of a Druid next to him.
"You know Leo, right?"
The Druid next to him also got excited.
"Who doesn't? The number one man in the Rogue Encampment, who completed the super-mission commissioned by Lady Akara."
Hearing the Druid's words, Leo felt a small spark of joy in his heart.
"Hah! That's all surface-level stuff. I have the inside scoop." Sael looked as if he was an old hand who truly knew something.
"This drink is on me. Let's hear it."
Sael took a sip and started bragging: "My sister is in his squad. Generally speaking, I wouldn't tell just anyone about these things."
The Druid, hearing there was real substance, called out: "Boss, bring this brother three more ales!"
The environment around Sael noticeably quieted down; clearly, everyone was interested in this topic.
"Actually, Leo is a pervert. Every night he peeks at the Rogues dancing. Peeking is one thing, but he doesn't dare go up and talk to them. He has the lecherous heart but no guts."
Leo's teeth ground together with a crackling sound, and he almost smashed his cup over Sael's head. Little brat, let's see what else you have to say.
Seeing everyone's stunned expressions, Sael was extremely proud of himself and took another sip. "Don't disbelieve me. His squad is entirely female."
This part was true; everyone knew that. Leo watched the crowd nod subconsciously and laughed out of pure anger.
Sael, seeing he had successfully piqued everyone's interest, instantly reached a climax. He downed the ale in his cup in one go. "Let me tell you, Leo is actually a 'soft-rice' eater. He relied entirely on a temporary Green Warrior who joined the team to complete the cave clearing task. Coincidentally, that warrior was also a woman."
After Sael finished, everyone burst into loud laughter and then merrily drank their ale.
Leo's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He could imagine that by tomorrow, his title as the "King of Soft Rice" would echo through the entire camp.
He stood up and walked toward Sael. Today, he was definitely going to break this brat's leg.
He grabbed Sael and hoisted him up, heading outside. "Let's go, let's go. Your sister is calling you home for dinner."
Sael struggled desperately, but it was useless.
Walking to a secluded corner, Leo tossed Sael to the ground. He felt a bit of a headache—how do you deal with this kind of "bear child" who is both reckless and stubborn? Waiting online, quite urgent.
Sael was just about to burst out into curses when he looked up and saw it was Leo. His bravado instantly weakened by seventy percent. This guy's gear changed every day; he looked "Yellow" and "Green," appearing like someone he couldn't beat.
Leo decided to take a different approach. Since the hard way didn't work, how about the soft way? He opened his inventory, fished out a bag of strong ale, and handed it to Sael.
Sael's throat bobbed. Ever since he tasted this wine last time, regular ale had completely lost its flavor.
"Don't just stare at it stupidly. Take it! What kind of man acts all wishy-washy like a mother?" Leo knew this idiot only responded to provocations.
Sael's eyes lit up. He took the wine and downed half the bag in one gulp. He was reluctant to guzzle the rest, savoring it in small, careful sips.
Leo scrutinized Sael; most of his gear was still White, with very little Blue. He was doing quite miserably. Leo reached out and handed him a spare weapon.
Sael looked—it was actually a golden Rare axe. He hesitated for a long time but didn't reach out. Leo actually gained some respect for this brat; his character wasn't bad, he was just a bit stupid.
"Take it. Your sister told me to give it to you." Leo started using his hoodwinking tactics again.
"Really? Sister isn't mad at me anymore?" Sael seemed to be very afraid of Gerdie.
"Really. Your sister often tells me how good you are. She stopped being mad a long time ago. Otherwise, would she have given such a precious weapon to you?" Leo sighed inwardly. Better to channel the flow than block it; why hadn't he thought of this trick earlier?
"That's fantastic! Thank you, Sister Gerdie!"
Leo rolled his eyes. Please, I'm the one who gave you the gear. Watching the silly kid's excited look, Leo's heart stirred, and a bold idea surfaced.
•
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