Chapter 33: The Captain

“There’s a problem: you can’t move freely among the monsters as I do…”

“Just lend us your cloak, then!” the barbarian priestess grumbled, her tone bristling with frustration.

“No can do. The cloak loses its effect when it’s not on me,” Luo Yong replied with utter seriousness.

Of course, at this moment, nothing he said would convince them otherwise.

“Hmph! So stingy—honestly, at a time like this, and you still won’t lend your cloak? Will it kill you to share it for once?” The barbarian priestess frowned, her beautiful brows knitting together.

“Luo Yong, lend us your rune gem and necklace as well,” Wendy interjected, activating the item in her hand. She stepped out from the shelter of the great tree and came to stand by Luo Yong’s side.

Before her eyes, the image of a young tree materialized, transforming into the visage of a goddess who showered her with a halo of divine light.

“Wow! So that means…”

“We’ve received the blessing of the Forest Goddess!”

A chorus of astonished cries rose behind them. Everyone stared, wide-eyed and curious, captivated by the unfolding scene.

“I can feel it! This artifact is intimately linked with that tree—the key to the secret realm. In fact, they might once have been one and the same!” Wendy’s voice trembled with excitement. “We don’t have to leave here just yet. We can explore the secret realm for as long as we like!”

“What’s actually happening?” Elia asked.

Not just her—everyone wanted to know.

Moments ago, it had seemed impossible to stay a moment longer, and now, suddenly, everything had changed?

“Luo Yong, now is not the time to be stingy!” Wendy ignored the others’ questions and instead fixed Luo Yong with a grave, unwavering gaze. In front of everyone, she even seized his hand.

“I know I’m asking a lot, maybe too much. But at this point, we have nowhere else to turn. Luo Yong, we’re a team, and you’re our leader—”

“Here,” Luo Yong cut her off before she could finish. Quietly, he pried the +5 rune gem from the hilt of his longsword and placed it in her hand, then unclasped the necklace from around his neck and handed it over.

“Luo Yong…” The look Wendy gave him was full of gratitude—and perhaps something more difficult to name. In any case, her heart was pounding with exhilaration.

Then she heard Luo Yong ask another question:

“Does your equipment have a slot?”

“Um… yes, it does!” Wendy hesitated for a beat, then realized that rune gems could only be set into gear that had a socket. Some tasks back at camp even rewarded you by adding sockets to your equipment.

There were all kinds of tasks and corresponding rewards—some stranger than others—but all useful in their own way.

No sooner had Wendy finished speaking than she unceremoniously slotted the rune gem into the socket on her flaming longsword’s hilt. Clearly, she’d been prepared for this moment, just waiting for the right gem.

At the same time, her other beautiful teammates raised their own gear—every one of them had sockets as well.

With the necklace on, Wendy’s level instantly shot up to sixteen—enough to take on monsters in this mid-level secret realm. She closed her eyes, savoring the sensation, then turned to face the giant tree. Raising her hands as if lifting something unseen, she began to channel her power.

A deep rumble shook the earth. The great tree trembled, and the ground vibrated softly beneath their feet. The giant tree, as if possessed of its own will, tore free from the earth, massive roots like titanic feet pounding the ground as it strode away into the distance.

“Hurry! Stay close! Only under its protection are you truly safe!” Wendy shouted, snapping the others out of their daze. She too set off after the tree, heading in the direction she recalled from earlier visions—now ready to explore whatever awaited them there.

“Come on, let’s go farm monsters somewhere new!”

“Wait for me!”

Excited shouts rang out as everyone rushed forward, eager to keep up with the moving tree.

Luo Yong strolled along in no particular hurry at the rear. With his advancement stalled, he’d realized that while necklaces and rune gems could boost his level, their drawbacks were just as clear—right now, they were nonessential luxuries.

Of course, when it came to farming monsters for gems, a higher level was always better. How else could you rake in those pay-to-win rewards?

At present, though, Luo Yong couldn’t farm monsters himself. Still, that didn’t stop him from exploring the secret realm.

Wendy guided the giant tree a considerable distance until, feeling exhausted, she brought it to a halt in a lush, verdant spot.

“I’ve done my best. Now it’s up to you,” Wendy said, standing beneath the tree and gently caressing its thick trunk. She spoke softly, then handed the Forest Goddess’s Blessing, the +3 necklace, and the +5 rune gem to the waiting Storm Sorceress.

“I saw some Jumping Frogs—they should be just up ahead in the river.”

“I noticed them too—quite a few, in fact!” The Storm Sorceress took the items, equipping each in turn, waved to the group, and strode out from beneath the tree’s protection toward the little river.

At that moment, the goddess’s phantom appeared, bestowing her blessing upon the sorceress.

“With this, we’ll be unstoppable in the secret realm!” Elia said, her tone tinged with envy.

“Indeed, some people are already scheming for their own benefit, tsk tsk…” The barbarian priestess sighed, shaking her head. “But alas, it seems that when you’re clever, you don’t… grow in other ways.”

She stretched lazily, arching her back to emphasize her impressive curves.

“Pfft! All brawn, no brains!” Elia recited coldly.

They were all level eight now; as a curse witch, Elia couldn’t do much against a barbarian priestess of equal level. Once holy light was invoked, any curse would be dispelled.

“Just wait until I level up…”

Suddenly, a piercing shriek echoed in the distance, and a fierce wind rose. A massive tornado formed, sucking up the waters of the river and hurling them skyward—along with countless Jumping Frogs, who bounced and tumbled helplessly through the air.

These frogs were rumored to be a rare delicacy.

Fatty Geer, now so hungry his eyes were turning blue, stared hungrily at the floating frogs, half-convinced he could hear them croaking in his belly. His stomach rumbled so loudly that he began to hallucinate.

Moments later, the Storm Sorceress returned with an armful of Jumping Frogs. Wendy lit a fire, and soon everyone was feasting on barbecue beneath the sheltering boughs of the great tree.

The flavors of this otherworldly cuisine were a novel experience for Luo Yong. He had to admit—the Jumping Frogs were delicious.

Once they’d eaten their fill, the group roasted the rest of the frogs for storage, preparing them as rations. Luo Yong distributed the recovery potions and health and mana elixirs from his storage space to everyone, just in case.

“There aren’t any clues in this secret realm. Once we leave, I’ll be gone for a while to resolve my leveling bottleneck.”

Having doled out the supplies, Luo Yong made this casual announcement.

Everyone was taken aback.

Elia, who was busy equipping her gear, quickly asked, “Captain, could you support our activity fund just a little longer?”

“Elia, once we resolve our leveling issues here, we can start taking on quests—there’ll be rewards for that,” Wendy whispered, tugging at her sleeve.

“But…” Elia glanced at Luo Yong, then at the others around her. “Luo Yong is our captain, and we’re his teammates. Isn’t it normal for a captain to help his teammates when they’re in trouble?”

She wore an air of entitlement, living by the creed that a fool passes up a free benefit.

“Well, I’ve never seen you help the captain when he’s in trouble,” the Storm Sorceress remarked dryly.

“I just… couldn’t help him,” Elia stammered, her face suddenly flushed as she sneaked a glance at Luo Yong, then at her own chest, then at the others.

“As for warming his bed—that’s not my job. If any of you want to take that on, you’ll have to sort it out yourselves!”

“Pffft!”

“Elia, what on earth are you saying?”

“As if I’d ever do something like that!”

“Ahem, well… if it were Luo Yong, maybe…”

“No way!”

“That little brother is mine!”

Their bickering erupted anew, with no clear winner emerging.

“Captain…” Luo Yong tilted his head back and gazed up at the sky.

There’s strength in numbers—truer words were never spoken. It was a universal law.

Nothing wrong with forming a party, or calling for backup in times of need—a helping hand can save your life.

The only problem was—

He was, after all, a disguised infiltrator who couldn’t risk exposing his identity!

And, most importantly, he was better off hunting monsters alone.

He came lightly, slaughtering monsters in silence.

He left quietly, with no trace of what had happened.

There was a certain ghostly thrill to it.

“Luo Yong…” Wendy approached, her expression solemn. She placed something in his hand and knelt on one knee before him, a gesture of loyalty.

Luo Yong had no idea what was happening, and the others fell silent, watching in stunned amazement.

In his palm lay a sword-and-shield emblem, half red, half blue.

“Wendy, this…”

“When I formed our team at the Mage Guild, I received this. It represents the core of a group,” Wendy said, looking up at him with utmost seriousness. “Luo Yong, from this day forth, you are our captain!”