Book 6: Chapter 52: Choosing a Team

“In case of absolute necessity, abandon the mission. Given your Soul Life Limit, forfeiting a main quest once won’t jeopardize your life.”

Today marked Frank and Little Mute’s first Otherworld Mission. Qin Lun offered this brief instruction calmly, then turned and headed back to his room, not accompanying them to the Teleportation Hall of Devil’s Horn.

After entering his own room, Qin Lun, who had assumed he wouldn’t dwell on the matter, found himself unexpectedly preoccupied with memories of meeting Frank and Little Mute. Lost in thought, he became momentarily immersed in these reflections.

Qin Lun’s inexplicable mood didn’t linger for long. Barely an hour later, Didi’s joyful greeting echoed from the villa’s front hall. Frank and Little Mute had returned safely.

Qin Lun jolted upright from his armchair only to slowly sit back down, expelling a long sigh of relief. It wasn’t until evening that he emerged for dinner.

Both Frank and Little Mute were in the main hall, unusually quiet, seemingly still processing their experiences in the other world.

“It’s good to be back. Eat.”

Qin Lun refrained from asking about their journey. An Apostle’s experiences in a Quest World were both invaluable lessons and potential emotional burdens. Sometimes, they needed time to process things alone; the advice of others was meaningless. If they wanted to share, they would tell him themselves.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was heavy. Didi craned his thin neck, looking from person to person. Seeing no one seemed inclined to speak, he drooped his ears and sulkily pushed the food around his plate.

After dinner, Qin Lun didn’t stay in the sitting room for his usual drink. He turned and went straight back to his room. However, only moments after he entered, a light knock sounded at his door.

“Come in,” Qin Lun said, still looking out at the night view outside the window, not turning around.

“Qin… Qin Lun… it… it’s me.” An unfamiliar voice, soft as an ant’s whisper, came from the doorway.

“Hm? You can speak?” Qin Lun turned around in surprise, looking at the small figure in the doorway.

“Y-yes… just recovered…” Sif, her figure still sprout-like, flushed crimson, her voice dropping to near inaudibility.

“Chirp chirp!” The little squirrel leaped from its owner’s shoulder, scurried swiftly onto Qin Lun’s shoulder, and chirped near his ear.

Qin Lun opened his palm, letting the squirrel hop onto it. He placed the creature on his knee, leaned back, and looking at the squirrel before him, asked mildly, “Sif, is there something troubling you?”

Sif hung her head, silent. Qin Lun didn’t press her. He gently teased the little squirrel with his finger and waited patiently.

After a long while, Sif finally lifted her head, gathering all her courage. “I… ran… when Big Guy was in trouble. But I… I don’t know why! He… didn’t blame me!”

“You still feel uneasy, though. You feel like you betrayed Frank, right?” Qin Lun said expressionlessly.

“Yes!” Sif crouched down miserably, tucking her little head between her knees and curling up in the corner of the room, just as she had done in the ruins of Atlantis.

“Becoming an Apostle doesn’t instantly change everything. You’re still that frightened little orphan. Your mind and body haven’t fully prepared for being an Apostle yet,” Qin Lun sighed softly. “Why don’t you go ask Frank? Ask him what he thinks?”

“But… won’t Big Guy yell at me?” Sif lifted her tear-streaked face to look at Qin Lun.

“Frank is… awkward. If you don’t ask him, you’ll never know. Maybe his thoughts are completely different from what you imagine!” Qin Lun placed the little squirrel back on the floor, letting it scamper back to its owner. “Go on. Go ask him.”

After Sif left the room, a smile touched Qin Lun’s lips. Given Frank’s simple, good-natured character, how could he possibly blame Little Mute for running away? In the hunchbacked servant’s heart, Frank was likely still blaming himself for the whole misadventure. To him, Sif was just a little girl of ten or so. He probably didn’t even see her as a companion in battle. The awkward atmosphere stemmed simply from their differing perspectives.

The night passed without incident. The following morning at breakfast, Qin Lun noticed Frank and Sif were exchanging smiles. It seemed the knot between them had unraveled.

“Master, there’s a projection call for you!” Didi mumbled through a mouthful of food, handing the projector to Qin Lun.

“…Oh? Is that so? Information from Lili… those two went to Tyrant City…” The speaker on the other side of the projection was Hansen. He and Grant had also survived the Metropolis Domination War, though Qin Lun was confident their gains wouldn’t surpass his own.

“It seems several large teams are beginning to take notice of us,” Qin Lun’s eyes flashed shrewdly. “Hansen, what do you intend to do… find a team first? Fair enough… Best of luck to you then!”

After ending the projection, Qin Lun sank into deep thought. Hansen’s warning forced him once again to confront the latent dangers he faced. As these Serial Killers grew stronger, their very presence in Devil’s Horn was gradually drawing significant attention from the larger teams.

This scrutiny, present even before they participated in the Metropolis Domination War, had now reached a critical point. Qin Lun knew he had to make a choice. His initial plan of casually joining a small team was no longer viable. No stable, minor team could withstand the pressure from the major factions to accept them.

Even forming the Murderer Team immediately wasn’t the best option before they reached High-Rank Apostle status. A newly formed team of three or four people equivalent to Golden Apostles would inevitably attract intense focus from the large teams, even targeted suppression.

“Which major team is better to join?” Qin Lun pondered silently. He currently had three choices: an invitation from Black, an Assassin with the Chaos Team; an invitation from Kelly, the deputy leader of the Lost Team; and the promise from Odo, the Summoner from the Sky Float Team.

Each of these three large teams had its pros and cons. Joining the Chaos Team, belonging to the Chaotic Evil faction, had the advantage of closer demonic connections, making it easier to acquire a Demon Bloodline later. The drawback was that breaking away from this evil-aligned team in the future would likely bring significant trouble.

Joining the Lost Team meant they understood him best. Once a member, he would likely receive a heavy allocation of resources, hastening his accumulation toward becoming a High-Rank Apostle. The weakness lay in his operative style being fundamentally incompatible with this Lawful Good faction. Irreconcilable ideological clashes would inevitably turn comrades into enemies someday – an outcome Qin Lun wished to avoid.

Thinking this through, Qin Lun finally reached a decision. He retrieved Odo’s contact number from his Identity Plate and initiated contact with the Summoner whom he had once defeated.

“Sky Float” belonged to the Apostle Monument Alliance. Compared to the Chaos Alliance and the Order Front, the Apostle Monument Alliance held a strictly neutral stance. This neutrality would allow Qin Lun to navigate between the Demon Clan and the Elven Race freely, laying the groundwork before the Murderer Team itself could eventually form.

“You’ve decided to join Sky Float?” Odo, on the other end of the projection, seemed surprised Qin Lun had contacted him after the Domination War.

The Summoner’s expression was complex. The aftermath of their duel had been severe. Ignoring the loss of the Adis Short Staff, even his unit Leader had begun to question his judgment. For the first time, his resource allocation lagged behind other promising recruits.

“How were your gains in the Domination War?” Odo collected himself and asked with a forced smile.

“Heh, I failed. But I kept my life,” Qin Lun’s eyes flickered as he adopted an expression unwilling to elaborate.

“You failed too?” Hearing Qin Lun’s reply, the suppressed resentment in Odo’s heart seemed to lessen significantly. However, immediately realizing his inappropriate attitude, he quickly offered a few words of consolation.

They conversed for a while. Then, a trace of awkwardness appeared on Odo’s face. He started hemming and hawing, subtly hinting whether Qin Lun would be willing to sell the Adis Short Staff back to him.

“Heh, the Adis Short Staff was merely a contingency plan for me during the Domination War. Since we’re about to become teammates, it naturally should be returned to your possession,” Qin Lun replied with a slight smile, nodding.

Relief washed over Odo. Regaining the Adis Short Staff would strengthen his position within the new recruits under his Leader again. He immediately thumped his chest enthusiastically, firmly guaranteeing Qin Lun’s entry into the Sky Float Team.

Next, Odo carefully inquired about Qin Lun’s Apostle background. Though several large teams were now aware of Qin Lun, the youth was still only a Novice Apostle. Besides, the two other large teams that knew his roots well certainly wouldn’t share information about him.

Therefore, with unwavering calm, Qin Lun provided completely falsified credentials. He exaggerated the number of Quest Worlds he’d endured. He also explained that his former small team had been destroyed, and he was now seeking a stable home within a major team.

Odo didn’t question Qin Lun’s account. Qin Lun’s precise battlefield judgment and analysis in their decisive bout of the Domination War selection had left him thoroughly convinced. His strong impression remained of someone experienced in combat yet lacking resources – perfectly matching Qin Lun’s current portrayal.

Once the call ended, Qin Lun felt a weight lift from his shoulders. With “Sky Float” as his shield, he could safely decline the recruitment overtures from “Lost” and “Chaos”.

Though Odo knew him personally, he himself remained a mere newcomer within Sky Float. Moreover, based only on the details Qin Lun provided, Odo could only see him as an outstanding Novice Apostle who had qualified for the Domination War event but failed to conquer it. Consequently, Qin Lun wouldn’t receive core member treatment from the Sky Float Team; he was most likely to be a regular member, or even merely a Peripheral Member. Yet, this outcome suited Qin Lun exactly – it would be easy to depart “Sky Float” when the time came.

Qin Lun was just about to return to his room when the projector suddenly illuminated once more. Simultaneously, a faint vibration came from his Identity Plate; someone else was trying to reach him.

Glancing down at the communication number displayed on the projector, Qin Lun’s expression instantly became… peculiar.