Chapter 235: 112. Start brushing, start brushing_4
Translator: 549690339
“Oh… What happened next?” The team member asked, still utterly confused.
Unlike the perplexed team members, Noland Lee noticed the problem with the mechanical spider without even using Deconstruction Technique. He just stared at it for a few moments.
He probably figured out what’s going on.
However, he didn’t plan to get involved in this matter.
So, after mentioning it earlier, he became silent.
Fars Scott, who looked careless like a silly fool only interested in alchemy experiments, was actually very smart.
As long as he focused on a specific problem, he could grasp the answer.
“Damn it!” Fars cursed:
“I know what’s going on now! I’ve been set up!”
Fars placed the mechanical spider on the wall, and moved its legs to simulate the spider’s wall climbing motion.
When the spider’s legs touched the wall, a tiny gap was revealed between the base of the leg and the outer armor plates.
A hidden weapon shot through that gap, striking the energy storage array directly, making it highly likely to cause instability in the array and subsequently trigger an internal energy explosion.
That’s how the energy storage array got damaged.
The power of this explosion was average and the damage limited, but it was enough to cause the mechanical spider to fall apart.
The angle and target of the hidden weapon showed that the attacker was very familiar with alchemical constructs.
Also, the sudden appearance of the hollow in the floor and the enemy hiding right beneath it, was way too coincidental.
It was as if someone had known Fars’ schedule and his habits in advance.
All the clues indicated that it was not just a simple coincidence – there was an inevitability behind the randomness of this event.
“It must be the alchemist who took the same research task as me! This research task is like a bidding competition. There are over ten people who took it, but there are only five spots to complete it. The Alchemy Academy will grade our research outcomes from high to low and select the top five. If I lose my alchemical cube in the experiment… then I’ll be automatically disqualified!”
Fars appeared a bit agitated.
Kent sighed, patted him on the shoulder and said:
“You should consider yourself lucky, Fars. Your opponent only wants you to be disqualified instead of costing your life. I’ve told you many times not to take research tasks you can’t afford. You’ve invested at least one million union coins in this task, right? How many people in the Lower Town area can afford that?
“I don’t need your introduction to know that the alchemists who took the same task as you all come from rich and powerful backgrounds. Don’t compete with them. Just focus on killing more aberrations. Like I said, don’t take tasks you can’t afford next time—leave some room for yourself, right?”
Fars clenched his fists and roared with his head lowered:
“All I’m doing is pursuing my alchemy dreams! What’s wrong with that?! If I succeed, I can move my parents to the Upper City Area! If I succeed, my sister will get extra points in the Basic Alchemy Exam! Why is it wrong for me to compete with them and strive for my dreams and my family! They are the ones who are wrong!”
After saying that, Fars put the mechanical spider back into the alchemy stone, pushed open the teammates in front of him, and stormed into the dark staircase.
“Fars! Fars!” Kent immediately chased after him but couldn’t stop him.
All because Fars suddenly activated his alchemy weaponry and transformed into an armored cheetah, breaking free from Kent’s grasp and disappearing into the darkness of the staircase.
“Damn it, he’s still so impulsive!… Guys, as a favor to me, let’s put the task aside for now and come back another day to clean up the aberrations! Ray Lee, take my map and lead the others back to the ground level. I’ll go after him on
my own! ”
“Yes, Captain!”
Kent activated his alchemy weaponry and ran off in a cloud of smoke, disappearing into the staircase.
A paper map appeared in Noland Lee’s hand.
He cast Deconstruction Technique, spending 3 energy points to store the map in his mind, then gestured for his teammates to follow him.
As he returned to the entrance of the tunnel along the same route, Noland sent his teammates away but didn’t leave the tunnel, instead heading back downstairs alone to Underground Layer 2.
He managed to get rid of his teammates, who were like deadweight, under the pretext of “helping the Captain and Fars.”
He didn’t have to worry that his solo return to the underground would bring any trouble from Kent and the Iron Thorn Shield.
The Meow Meow People of Elemental Judgement appeared around the company twice in a row, even having a brief face-to-face conversation with Noland during the second encounter, which was already a clear indication of the problem at hand.
It was very likely that the higher-ups of Iron Thorn Shield had reported Noland’s situation.
The Golden Commerce Guild received the news and contacted Elemental Judgement in secret.
That’s why the Elemental Judgement’s Meow Meow People could encounter Noland twice, and no extraordinary members from Iron Thorn Shield interfered.
It was an unspoken agreement between all parties.
Noland wouldn’t cause trouble, wouldn’t undermine Iron Thorn Shield or harm the benefits of the Golden Commerce Guild, and in return, Elemental Judgement and the Golden Commerce Guild would turn a blind eye.
Like what Noland was about to do.
He returned to the underground alone solely to wander around the dark underground area and find the feeling of monster hunting..