Chapter 573: An Agreement

“Have you thought it through?”

The main gate stood before them. Soo Soo raised her head and gave the gate a glance before glancing sideways at Chen Xiaolian. “Must you go in?”

“… … …” Chen Xiaolian nodded and took a deep breath. Next, he crouched down before Soo Soo. “After we enter, you must listen to me, understand?”

“Mm.” Soo Soo nodded in response.

“Follow me and do not move around on your own. Should anything happen, prioritize saving yourself. Remember, as long as you live through this, even if we fail this instance dungeon, it will be all right. Do not forget, we have a special way of making it through the punishment instance dungeon.”

“Fine, I understand.” Soo Soo nodded.

Naturally, Chen Xiaolian had his own trump cards.

For him, the difficulty of instance dungeons had been greatly reduced – even in face of a quest he could not complete, he could find a safe place and hide. There was no need for him to worry about not completing the instance dungeon’s quest.

Punishment instance dungeons were no longer an issue for Chen Xiaolian’s guild long ago.

They possessed their own base that was capable of shielding them. At the same time, they have also grasped the secret of the punishment instance dungeon.

[System prompt: Instance dungeon D5093 will begin in 10 minutes. To those not selected to be part of this instance dungeon, please leave this instance dungeon area quickly. Once the instance dungeon begins, those who remain within this area will, by default, become participants of this instance dungeon.]

Looking at the prompt in his personal system, Chen Xiaolian smiled. He then reached his hand out to pull Soo Soo. “Let us go.”

The two of them strode into the castle.

…

As he had come over to check up on the layout of this place the previous day, Chen Xiaolian already had the structure of the castle committed to his mind. The two of them quickly made their way to the tower on the east side – the east tower was the highest point of the castle.

…

Beneath the west side of the building, a youngster wearing a cap and a sweater slowly pulled off the headphones on his head. The youngster who was standing within the castle turned to look out the window.

Beyond the west tower was a hillside. The natural terrain created a special area which gave the west side a lofty atmosphere.

The tower also had cannons on them. The cannons were ancient bronze cannons and their surfaces were filled with rust.

The youngster’s sweater had the tiger head pattern at the back. After pulling the headphones, he left them over his neck and pulled out his mobile phone.

“Where are you?”

“I will be entering in five minutes.”

“All right. I am at the west tower. As for the specific location, you can check the 3D map I sent you.”

“Mm, see you later.”

After putting his mobile phone away, the youngster checked his surroundings.

As there were not many tourists in the morning, the ancient castle appeared empty.

However, there beside one of the tower’s windows, around 20 metres away from him, two figures caught the youngster’s attention.

They were two yellow-skinned Asians.

An old man and a young woman who appeared to be less than 20 years old.

The one who first caught the youngster’s attention was the young woman.

She was undoubtedly someone with her own ‘style’.

She had quite the passable looking face. However, the hair on her head had been shaved short. On her head were green coloured hair, less than one centimetre in length and well styled.

The young woman was also wearing headphones. Judging by what he could see, it was of the same brand as the one he was using.

The expensive Sennheiser.

As the youngster was a headphones enthusiast, when he recognized what brand of headphones the young woman was using, his eyes lingered. Next, he became attracted by her crew cut hairstyle.

After giving her the extra attention, the youngster’s eyes suddenly narrowed.

The young woman possessed keen senses. He had only glanced at her for a moment, but she had quickly found him out. She quickly cast an icy and highly vigilant stare at him.

The youngster hastily lowered his head and he put on the pretence of casually walking outside.

…

“Teacher, it seems… …”

“Mm.” The old man said coolly, “It hasn’t begun. Don’t do anything unnecessary.”

The young woman with crew cut hair style lowered her gaze.

…

Within another hotel in Bran.

“Everyone received the system prompt?”

Tian Lie looked at everyone inside the room.

Nicole did not say anything. She simply looked on with narrowed eyes.

Tom Huggins said heavily, “What are you up to? You want to bring us with you to participate in an instance dungeon?”

Although Nicole did not say anything, there was a questioning look in the way she was looking at Tian Lie.

Within the room, only Jenny and Lin Leyan looked on with confused looks. They were unable to understand what Tian Lie and Tom were talking about.

Tian Lie turned to Nicole. Suddenly, for the first time ever, he spoke with a serious tone, “Do you trust me?”

“… … …” Nicole frowned and said, “Do I have a reason to trust you?”

“… … doesn’t seem like it.” Tian Lie tilted his head and thought about it. “If we are to go into it, the both of us had worked together before. However, there is quite the grudge between us.” Pausing for a moment, Tian Lie then took a deep breath and said in a very serious tone, “This time however, I hope you can trust me… … additionally, it must be an unreserved trust. Can you?”

“… … …” A struggle was evident within Nicole’s eyes. “Give me a reason.”

“I do not know what happened in Zero City. However, that fellow has disappeared,” Tian Lie quickly said. “I can tell you this. That fellow is the strongest among all the people I have encountered – not one of, but the strongest! I believe that there is no Awakened or Player who could kill him! There are simply no such existences in this world! Additionally, his disappearance must be related to Zero City’s fall.”

“… … go on.” Nicole nodded her head.

“I have no clues in tracking down Zero City,” said Tian Lie. “However, by tracking him, we may obtain some valuable answers to clear away this fog.”

“What is the connection between tracking the missing Guild Leader Shen and you bringing us to this place?”

“Forbidden land. This place is a forbidden land for Players,” Tian Lie said coolly. “Back then, he was the one who informed me about this secret.”

“And?” Nicole asked.

Tian Lie thought about it and slowly answered, “Back then, when he had informed me about this secret, he made an agreement with me.”

Agreement?

Nicole’s eyes shone and she stared intently at Tian Lie.

…

At a certain date and place, a conversation regarding an agreement took place…

“What is your opinion about friendship?”

“Friends… … maybe it is about trust.”

“Is there trust between the two of us?”

“Why not?”

“Please, we are not even of the same type, you know? You are someone from this world, while I am an existence from another world. Your world has this saying, those from different clans have different ways of thinking. Besides… … I feel that you are gradually becoming more and more of an eyesore. Sometimes, I really feel like just killing you off, you trouble making bastard.”

“… … since you are willing to talk to me this way, does that mean you really think of me as a friend?”

“Well then, my friend, what do you say we make an agreement?”

“… … … you are not about to kick the bucket, are you? The way you talk feels like you are leaving your final words.”

“Pooh! Who in this world can kill me? Stop joking around.”

“Fine, what is it?”

“If, I am saying, just if, if one day, something happens to me, maybe I disappeared or maybe no one could find me, please do not ever think I am dead – you know as well, there is no way I would die. Thus, it must mean I have encountered a very serious trouble, one that not even my powers could deal with. Should something like that happen, please help me do one thing.”

“Do what?”

“Go to a place.”

“Where? For what? What is in the place?”

“In that place, there are two people. Those two people possess the power to assist me. The problem is, the two of them are hostile toward one another. They both wishes each other death and have been fighting each other there for a very long time. Neither one would take the first step to leave the place.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means, they are using the place as a form of prison – a prison to imprison the other. The main reason the two of them are staying there is to lock each other inside and prevent the other from leaving.”

“You know both of them?”

“They are both my friends.”

“… … your friends sure are wonderful.”

“Fine, now to the main point. When you go there, you will find those two weirdos. The two of them are very powerful. They are powerful enough to assist me. Here comes the problem. One of them should prove easy to deal with. That one owes me a big favour. After you encounter that fellow, even if that fellow refuses to help you, that fellow would not harm you. The other one however… … … after you go there, you had best lay low. That one, my relationship with that one is, how should I put it… …”

“What is it?”

“Let me put it this way… … if there is an opportunity to kill me, that person would not hesitate to quickly do it.”

“Some special friends you have!”

“Remember, if you go there, and if you meet with that person, remember to stay low.”

“How does that person… … look like?”

“That person… … is a redhead.”

…