Chapter 470: Bloodstain

Let us return to a certain point before the magic array was activated…

At a certain freight yard within a pier in Tel Aviv…

Beside the containers that were piled up like a mountain were two large cranes, their hooks hovering in the air.

Tian Lie and Nicole walked into the middle of the freight yard. They wore serious expressions on their faces as they assessed the piles of containers around them.

After entering Tel Aviv, the system prompt had led them here. This place was the coordinate given by the system for the quest.

However, after arriving…

All silence.

“I think there will be another selection of factions. However, this time’s selection would not be simple.” Tian Lie looked at Nicole while slightly lifting up the sack on his shoulder.

Nicole’s eyes swept around several times. She gave extra attention to a few special spots.

Then, the system issued a prompt.

[System prompt: Escort of quest target complete. Please place the quest target into the designated container: Container no. XXXX.]

After reading the prompt, Tian Lie glanced at Nicole. “Did you receive it as well?”

“Yes.”

Tian Lie licked his lips and said, “Looks like this is the decisive moment for this third phase.”

“What do you mean?”

“We are assuredly not the only ones who chose not to kill the quest target. There are others. However, in this third phase, in order to be selected as a member of the Demon Faction, there will certainly be a trial or battle. At any rate, I doubt it will be easy.”

“Then...”

Before Nicole could finish her words, Tian Lie’s brows jumped and he uttered, “Someone is coming!”

An armoured truck came barrelling through the entrance of the freight yard. Bullet marks were evident on the surface of the truck and one of its tires had become deflated. It was clear to all that this truck had been through an intense battle along the way here.

After the armoured truck entered the freight yard, the driver saw Tian Lie and Nicole, who were standing in the middle of the way. The driver quickly stopped the truck.

Tian Lie and Nicole exchanged glances and they both took a few cautious steps backward. Tian Lie continued backing off until he was beside a container.

The door of the armoured truck opened.

A figure jumped down from the front passenger’s seat and quickly shouted, “Don’t attack. Let us talk it through.”

As he spoke, the figure raised up both his hands so that both Tian Lie and Nicole could see his hands. Only then did he slowly walk out from behind the door.

When Tian Lie saw him, he was unable to stop a smile from forming on his face.

After a closer look, it turned out ‘he’ was a ‘she’.

The young woman had short hair, so short that it practically clung to her scalp. Her body was very thin, just like that of a wood. She wore harness jeans and her mouth was chewing gum. The makeup on her face was very thick with smoky eyes and black lip-gloss. On one of her ears was a dagger-shaped earring.

If not for her very thin body, with her *** voice, others might actually mistake her for a male.

The moment Tian Lie saw her, a smile formed on his mouth. He threw a signal at Nicole. Ignoring whether she had understood him or not, Tian Lie walked forward.

“Natasha, my dear, it has been a while.”

The tone in Tian Lie’s voice resembled that of someone meeting an old friend after several years.

The shorthaired girl was taken aback. She stood there and cast a doubtful gaze at Tian Lie. “You… know me?”

“Of course, the Diamond Barbie, Natasha. My dear, your reputation in Europe is quite considerable.”

The girl known as Natasha cast a scrutinizing gaze at Tian Lie. “I do not recall meeting you before.”

“That is a very normal thing. You are a big celebrity in this circle.” Tian Lie smiled and patted the sack he was carrying on his shoulder. “What happened? You decided to join the Demon Faction? Ah, let me guess… … I understand. You have a personal grudge against those self-proclaimed Light-following madmen from Jerusalem. So, you are unwilling to be in the same faction as them, right?”

Natasha’s face grew more grim and she said, “Just who are you?!”

She stared coldly at Tian Lie. Suddenly, frost appeared in the air surrounding them.

“Don’t get so antsy.” Tian Lie took several steps forward. Only after there was a distance of around 10 metres between them did he stop. “We are probably going to be on the same side. Look, what do you think is inside my sack? This is my quest target.”

Natasha did not lower her guard. Her eyes moved over to Nicole. “Is that person your companion? Which guild are you two from?”

“No no no, we are not in a guild. We are two honourable knight errants.” Tian Lie smiled.

A hint of disdain appeared in Natasha’s eyes. “Pei, knight errants? In this age could there still be two knight errants who are willing to work together? In this world, who would be willing to trust someone else? Are you not afraid that your companion will throw you into a boiling pot?”

Tian Lie deliberately replied loudly. “How could that happen? Ah, I forgot to tell you. Me and my companion may not be teammates, but we are intimate friends.”

“What the *** nonsense are you spouting?!”

Nicole, who was standing behind them, finally lost her patience.

“Dearie, don’t be shy. I am just telling the truth.” Tian Lie turned around and smiled at Nicole.

“Just who are you people?” Frost seemingly floated within Natasha’s eyes and she continued, “If you don’t explain yourselves, I don’t mind getting rid of two suspicious elements from this faction.”

Tian Lie pondered a moment before shaking his head. He said, “All right… … even if I tell you my name, you won’t know me. However… … you can trust me. Because… … I know Sir Odin.”

The moment the name Odin came out from his mouth, Natasha’s face changed. She looked suspiciously at Tian Lie.

“You know of Sir Odin?”

“Of course.” Tian Lie smiled. “I have quite a good relationship with him. Mm, you don’t trust me? See, that fellow’s height is about… … one head taller than me.  When talking, he has a habit of pausing after each sentence. Additionally… … there is a tattoo of a double-headed snake on his lower abdomen area, am I right?”

While others may have known about some of the things he said, the double-headed snake tattoo on his lower abdomen was something that outsiders would not know of.

This made Natasha less suspicious of Tian Lie.

“You really know Sir Odin?”

“Of course, we worked together in the Iceland instance dungeon. Of course, that was a temporary cooperation. I listened to his orders and was barely able to make it out of the instance dungeon.”

“Iceland instance dungeon… … the one where you need to look for the statue of the Goddess?” Natasha put on a casual façade as she asked.

“Ha ha! You are really cunning. No need to probe me, the Iceland instance dungeon is about searching the remains of the witch, not some statue of a Goddess,” Tian Lie replied with a smile.

Natasha breathed a sigh of relief. “So, you really did cooperate with Sir Odin before?”

“Of course.”

After saying that, Tian Lie then continued, “All right, if we keep this up, we will only end up wasting time. If we want to complete our quest, we should quickly reach the location for the third phase instead of staying here.”

“Last question.” Natasha looked at Tian Lie. “Since you know Master Odin, you must have drunk together with him before. What type of alcohol does he likes? Single malt or…”

“No no no.” Tian Lie smiled as he shook his head. “Dear Natasha, please stop probing me. That fellow, Odin, never drinks. Just one sip will cause his face to turn red. That poor fellow. Even though he is a Nordic fellow, he is allergic to alcohol. However, the codfish he cooked was very delicious.”

Hearing that, the final feeling of doubt disappeared from Natasha’s heart. “You are really are Sir Odin’s friend! He is not one to simply let others eat the codfish he cooks.”

After she said that, the frost hovering in the air disappeared.

“Well, ask your companion to come out.” Tian Lie smiled and continued, “Since we have arrived at the gathering point, I believe we have all made the same choice… … we have all chosen the Demon Faction.”

A hint of slyness flashed across Natasha’s face and she whistled.

The door of the armoured truck immediately opened up and another figure jumped down from the driver’s seat.

He was a typical middle-aged, Jewish man. He wore a standard police-issued bulletproof vest and seemed to be a courageous and strong man. However, a closer look revealed… … there was something weird about his expression.

It was very… blank.

“This is… … your teammate?” Tian Lie appeared very puzzled.

“No.” Natasha shook her head and replied with a prideful look. “This is my quest target.”

Behind Tian Lie, the surprised Nicole turned her head to look at him.

“Your quest target?” Tian Lie asked with a surprised tone.

Natasha replied solemnly, “I am alone for this instance dungeon.”

“What about your other companions? What about Odin? Why didn’t he join this instance dungeon with you?”

Natasha looked down and took a deep breath before replying with a tangled voice, “Sir Odin, a few months ago… … he was killed!”

Tian Lie’s face sank. “He… … died?”

“Yes, it was those devilish people from Thorned Flower Guild. They brutally murdered him!” Natasha said in a hushed tone.

Tian Lie looked at Natasha. “That is a very bad news.”

“I will carry on Sir Odin’s legacy.” Natasha said coldly. Then, she whistled and the man in police-issued bulletproof vest walked over instantly.

“How are you controlling him?” Tian Lie rubbed his chin. “Control a quest target and turn him into your personal driver… ah, I understand now. You must have received some of Odin’s teachings. You must have the Icysnow Spirit Essence, right?”

Natasha cast a rather vigilant look at Tian Lie. “You know quite a lot. How is it that someone like you could be an unknown character?”

“Probably because I am more low-key. Surely you understand. In this game, those who keep a low-profile might get to live longer.”

Natasha looked at Tian Lie before looking back at Nicole. “Your words sound reasonable. Although I am still unable to fully trust you, I think… … it is possible for us to cooperate.”

“Yes, my thoughts exactly.” Tian Lie smiled and extended his hand.

Natasha hesitated. She looked at Tian Lie and shook her head. “A cooperation is all right but there is no need for us to high five or whatnot. I don’t like having physical contact with men.”

“Eh?” Tian Lie was momentarily stunned.

“I hate men.” Natasha spoke with a rather haughty tone. She then looked at Nicole. “I don’t mind high-fiving her.”

…

There was actually no one else inside the armoured truck. However, when she opened the door, they were able to see various weapons lying inside, nearly filling the truck. Nicole was unable to stop herself from letting out a whistle.

“You robbed a police station’s arsenal?”

Natasha’s attitude toward Nicole was much better compared to her attitude toward Tian Lie. “It just so happens that my quest target was a police officer. I had to go to the police station to find him. Then I thought to myself: Since I am already here, why not take some weapons with me so I can use them along the way… you understand, beautiful girl.”

This was probably the first time a female called Nicole ‘beautiful girl’ with a flirtatious tone. Her face sank.

…

Any participant who chose not to kill their quest target and was able to make it to this freight yard would receive the system prompt requesting them to place their quest target in the designated container.

The designated containers assigned to each of them were different.

The three of them went on with their respective quests. It did not take long for them to place their quest targets into the designated containers. Next, they waited patiently for the follow-up quest to be issued.

Nicole and Tian Lie stood together. Although Natasha had agreed to cooperate with them, she was not one to trust others easily. She stood far away, beside the designated container for her quest target.

“You really know that Odin fellow?”

“Yes.” Tian Lie nodded.

Nicole said in a whisper, “Who is that fellow.”

“A very famous Awakened ones.” Tian Lie considered his reply. “His level of strength is very good.”

“You are really friends with him?” Nicole continued asking.

Tian Lie smiled. He glanced at the distant Natasha before looking back at Nicole. “What do you mean?”

“I get the feeling that you were lying. I have only known you for a few days, but whenever you start talking bull, there is a certain tone in your voice. I recognize that tone,” Nicole said coldly. “You were lying to that girl.”

“Of course I was lying to her.” Tian Lie shrugged with an indifferent attitude. “What else? That was the quickest method of gaining her trust. What should I have done? Fight her after meeting her?”

Nicole frowned. “This Natasha, what is her relationship with Odin?”

Tian Lie grinned. “Something like a disciple, or perhaps… … you can say she was Odin’s woman.”

“Eh?” Nicole was stunned. She turned her head to look at the distant Natasha.

Although the girl had a very thick layer of makeup on her, she did not appear old. Additionally, her ‘development’ was not that good. She was lacking in terms of a female’s charms.

“That Odin, how old was he?”

“Old enough to be your uncle.” Tian Lie snickered.

“But… … this girl… … she is at best only 20 years old!” Nicole was unable to stop herself from sighing. “If you are not Odin’s friend, how did you know so much about him?”

Tian Lie’s eyes turned cold.

He stared into Nicole’s eyes deeply before replying.

“Because, I was the one who killed that Odin. In an instance dungeon, he fell into my clutches and I killed him… … I spent a good six hours killing him! He even told me how many times he wet his bed when he was a child.”

Nicole’s body gave a shudder and she looked at Tian Lie in disbelief.

Tian Lie revealed an indifferent smile. “Are you very surprised?”

“You…” Nicole frowned.

“Too brutal? Too cruel?” Tian Lie asked coldly. “If you know what kind of fellow that Odin was, you might not think that way.”

Nicole took a deep breath. “I don’t understand. What kind of grudge would make you torture someone for six hours before killing him?”

Tian Lie raised his head and he observed the sky. Next, he said slowly, “Odin’s guild was called Nordic Warriors Guild. However, this guild only had one male member, Odin. In other words, except for Odin, the other members of the guild were all girls… … very young girls.”

Nicole stared with widened eyes. “Ha… … ha…. harem guild?”

There was disgust on Tian Lie’s face as he continued, “If that was the only issue, I would not have bothered to torture that scum. However, this fellow was a very nauseating pervert. His favourite activity is to join low-levelled instance dungeons everywhere and absorb rookie Awakened girls. He would trick them to join his guild and… … slowly ‘nurture’ them. The younger they are, the more he likes it. The bastard had become infamous within the Awakened circle for over 10 years. Can you guess how many Natasha like girls he nurtured?

“What do those little girls know? After getting his hands on them, he would teach them for a few years and they would all treat him like an idol. Their minds were all twisted!”

After saying that, Tian Lie spat out fiercely. “When I killed Odin, he had a little girl beside him. Her age… … at best, she was only half your age.”

Nicole’s face had turned extremely livid.

“Killing a scum like him is nothing. I only regret it was limited to six hours.”

…

A few minutes later, someone else came.

Tian Lie and Nicole stood together. Natasha quickly decided to move closer toward them.

The three of them formed a small-sized temporary group.

There were seven newcomers. They seemed to be from four different sides.

Three of them were clearly solo participants. The other four appeared to be from the same team – those four appeared most miserable. There were wounds all over their bodies. Their leader was a tall man who wielded a blade. The edge of the blade was nicked and soaked in blood.

When that group of participants saw Tian Lie’s group, they were quick to become cautious and they put some distance between their group and this other party.

Tian Lie stepped forward, his hand moving to make a ‘Please make yourself at home’ gesture.

The three solo participants quickly ran toward their designated containers and placed their quest targets inside.

As for the team, they had two fellows maintain defensive stances while the other two moved toward the designated container to place their quest target inside.

Tian Lie checked the time.

At that moment, the system issued out a prompt.

[System prompt: Selection for Demon Faction had begun! Selection of bloodline complete! After the quest targets you brought pass the bloodline screening, you will be assigned to the Demon Faction! Please clear or expel any outsiders from the other faction from this gathering point immediately to obtain the qualifications to move to the final quest.

[Duration for the selection process is 5 minutes. If you cannot clear or expel the outsiders from the other faction within the given time, you will have failed the quest!]

After receiving the prompt, Tian Lie immediately looked at Nicole.

Nicole nodded toward him. “I received it. My screening was a pass.”

The two of them then turned toward Natasha. Natasha’s pupils contracted for an instant. However, she said coldly, “What are you looking at me for? My quest target was accepted.”

Next, they heard a solo participant who was standing beside a container scream out furiously, “Bastard! What the *** is this supposed to mean? What do you mean screening failed? The system was the one who gave me this target! I am not the one who chose this quest target!”

As the fellow was howling in rage, another solo participant – without a word – suddenly turned and dashed toward the gates of the freight yard.

The four-man team rapidly dashed out to surround him. The man with the nicked blade leapt forward through the air and his blade cleaved down at the solo participant from behind.

Tian Lie simply stood there without making a move. He smiled coldly. “The killing has begun, eh? Humph…”

…

Another pier in Tel Aviv…

The door to the warehouse was open and a few Awakened ones in Thorned Flower Guild’s protective gear could be seen standing in the doorway.

Several fellows were pacing anxiously inside the warehouse.

“Cannot contact our esteemed Guild Leader?”

“Yes.”

“This… … damn it! What should we do now? Should we kill off our quest target or… … proceed with the blood screening? The last time you managed to contact our Guild Leader, what did he say?”

“Guild Leader said… … whatever.”

“Wha- whatever?”

…

Jerusalem.

Beside the Wailing Wall…

Shen sat there quietly. There by his hand was a fine wineglass.

“You despicable Rudolph, are you happy now?” Shen faced the sky. There was a wry look on his face as he muttered. “This Demon instance dungeon…. in the end, you insist on interfering, huh?”

Around 10 metres behind Shen, a female knight in black coloured armour was kneeling with one knee on the ground.

The female knight had golden hair, pale white face and slender legs. Despite her kneeling posture, it was evident that she was abnormally tall.

She seemed to have heard Shen’s mutterings and raised her head. With a respectful yet cold voice, she slowly said, “Sir Shen, I am very sorry. I am only following my orders. Master ordered me to stay here with you. If you do anything, he will consider it an act of breaking the agreement. According to the agreement, he would step back from this instance dungeon. However, you too, must not do anything.”

“What is this supposed to be? A show?” Shen smiled. “Stand outside the sandbox and watch as the ants inside the sand fight each other? Since when did the one surnamed Rudolph adopt such an idle hobby?”

The female knight shook her head without saying anything.

Shen suddenly turned toward the female knight. “So, your master sent you to monitor me? Is he not afraid that I would kill you?”

“Naturally, you may do so,” the female knight said in a rule-bound voice. “Killing me would be as simple as lifting a hand for you. However, if I were to die by your hands, that means you are breaking the agreement. If so…”

“Ha ha ha ha.” Shen suddenly laughed out. “If so, he would be able to do whatever he wants without complying to the agreement, right? So… … your master sent you here to become cannon fodder? Or is he trying to provoke me on purpose?”

“I am simply here to obey my orders. I will not speculate on my master’s thoughts.”

Shen narrowed his eyes and looked at the female knight. Then, he suddenly spoke up. “Jolene, I actually think of you as a very outstanding talent. If you are willing, my doors are always open for someone like you. It is better than accompanying a crazy fellow all day…”

Before Shen could finish his words, the female knight abruptly jerked her head up. Flames seemingly sparked out from her eyes.

Ca!

Without standing up, she suddenly unsheathed the sword hanging on her waist and thrust it down the ground before her.

“Sir Shen! Saying those words once is enough! If I hear you insulting my master one more time, even if I am not your match, this blade of mine will be stained with either your blood or mine!”

…

Natasha. Raw: ‘娜塔莎’, pinyin: ‘Nà tǎ shā’.

Jolene. Raw: ‘若琳’, pinyin: ‘Ruò lín’.