OBS Chapter 98 Two Requests
Chapter 98 Two Requests
Chapter 98 Two Requests
"I want all of you to hand over the glass jars. Of course, you don't have to hand them over now. You can hand them over to me tomorrow after you exchange the hostages for the Killer Bees."
Simon spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about something trivial.
He had to ensure that everyone present was absolutely loyal to him. They were still in the initial stage of cooperation, and any betrayal could cause this already distrustful group to fall apart. Therefore, he had to control their glass jars, which were the Killer Bees.
Now, to them, the Killer Bee is equivalent to the lives of their companions, and only in this way can he control them.
Everyone present was smart enough to understand Simon's intentions.
Simon then looked at Sophia.
"Besides, Miss Sophia, from now on you will be working with me. I assure you and my companions will guarantee your personal safety."
At present, the person he distrusts the least is Wilson, who is a cave raider and also a former subordinate of Carl, while Sophia, who is pregnant, is the best hostage.
Wilson frowned slightly, and was about to refuse on her behalf when Sophia reached out and stopped him.
"I promise you, I'll follow your lead from now on—" But she suddenly changed the subject, "but I have one condition: you have to return my glass jar."
She lowered her eyes, seemingly recalling the young man who had been tragically killed by Karl yesterday, her heart filled with mixed sorrow.
Simon did not immediately agree to this condition.
This is definitely a risky move. If he really returns the glass jar, the advantage is that she can save her companion, but the disadvantage is that Carl may realize that they are cooperating. After all, she did not take back the glass jar the day before, and suddenly taking it back the next day is bound to be surprising.
But after thinking for a long time, Simon opened his backpack and returned the glass jar.
If the glass jar isn't returned, who knows if she'll break down after witnessing the death of her next companion? Returning the jar to her is the best option.
Now, all he can do is hope that Karl won't notice anything amiss.
After a night of discussion, Simon and his team finalized a general strategy.
The first step is reconnaissance. They are not yet familiar with the environment of the second level, let alone know that Karl is smuggling the meat as evidence of guilt outwards.
We must find out as soon as possible where the channels for transporting supplies inland are located.
The next step is to find a way to rescue all of our companions.
The companions and hostages still in the camp are no different. Once Karl discovers their betrayal, he will kill the hostages without mercy. So we must rescue them all as soon as possible.
Simon looked up at the dome, where spores began to glow, heralding the approaching "daylight" of the second layer.
"Let's head to the camp."
The group nodded in agreement.
Before leaving, Elder Chalasu blocked Simon's path with his burly body.
The rest of the people had already set off. Simon looked at the distant mound, where the Imperial Adventurer's enormous helmet gleamed comically in the light of the spores.
"Is there something you need?"
"Simon, I have something for you." Charasu's expression was very serious.
He reached his thick hands into his robes, tore off a piece of fabric from the area closest to his body, and then took out what he wanted from the fabric.
As Simon extended his hand, he saw a small pendant lying in the center of his palm. It was shaped like a small gray-blue lock, surrounded by countless fine chains that tightly wrapped around the lock, as if something extremely evil was sealed inside.
The moment Charasu took out the pendant, he clearly felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and he looked much younger.
"What is this?" Simon picked up the pendant and examined it by the light of the spores.
"The people of the Sun Empire have definitely never heard of this," Charasu explained patiently. "The people of the Twilight Empire call it Vanchad, which means a cage that traps the cunning."
Charasu gazed at the small pendant before him, his thoughts racing: "Long ago, the Twilight Empire had two faiths: the Mother of Abundance, and—the Sovereign of Many Faces and Many Spirits."
Simon had never heard of this name before, and his intuition told him that this must be a hidden deity, as terrifying as the Mother of Fertility.
"As the cult of the Mother of Fertility grew stronger, religions that believed in the dominion of all spirits became neglected. A religious conflict broke out in the Twilight Empire, and we were driven into the deep mountains and forests by the cult of the Mother of Fertility. Later, the people of the Empire drove us into the abyss."
Recalling the absurd past, the aged Chalasu gave a self-deprecating laugh, his cloudy eyes filled with endless regret.
"Back then, I was a young and naive person. While all the believers were fleeing, I secretly stole this little thing from the temple."
It's surprising that the seemingly composed Charasu did some outrageous things in his youth.
"And then what? What's the use of this pendant?" Simon was more curious about whether the pendant had any practical use.
"It will not bring any help, only endless disaster!" Charasu replied solemnly. "This little lock allows mediums, or what you often call spirit summoners, to communicate with the Multifaceted Spirit Lord. The Multifaceted Spirit Lord will bring psychic energy, but also calamity!"
So that's how it is. At this moment, Simon finally understood the source of Elder Chalasu's "psychic power"—it all originated from this small pendant.
"So why did you give me this pendant?" he couldn't help but ask.
"I had a vague sense of crisis. My grandson was starting to crave psychic power, and I didn't want him to repeat my mistakes."
Chalasu clenched his fists, closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and suppressed the spiritual energy within him.
"When my family was driven to the brink of despair, I called upon the name of the Lord of All Spirits, and He answered my call, granting me immense spiritual power. But for more than fifty years, He has also been tempting me to continue calling upon His name and to continue using His spiritual power."
For the first time, a look of pain appeared on the face of this robust and strong old man, who was as imposing as a mountain.
But he quickly regained his composure and looked at Simon, his eyes clearly showing a glimmer of hope.
"I'm giving it to you because you're not a psychic, you can't hear His voice, so you won't be swayed by it. Besides, you're strong enough not to let the pendant fall into the hands of another psychic."
Elder Chalasu patted Simon on the shoulder, his tone full of sincerity and blessing.
"I wish that you could wear it and depart peacefully and happily in the world beyond the abyss, so that the Lord of Many Faces would no longer deceive anyone with His whispers. This is my request. Will you grant it?"
After much deliberation, Simon agreed to his request.
Since he had decided to join forces with Elder Chalasu, he had to help him resolve this problem, which was a responsibility he had to accept.
"Okay, I promise you."