17: Chapter 17 is your trump card? No, it's my soda.
Night shrouded Heifeng Hunting Camp.
The hall was brightly lit.
Mud-covered freshmen sat slumped in chairs in small groups.
By a round table in the southwest corner, the four members of Chu Tiankuo's squad sat together.
Four cups of untouched synthetic hot tea were on the table.
Monkey picked up a paper cup, his wrist shaking uncontrollably.
Scalding tea spilled onto the back of his hand, leaving a red mark.
Whether Lin Mo relied on his own strength or some high-level item, he clearly wasn't someone they could afford to provoke.
Chu Tiankuo kicked Monkey's shin bone.
"Wipe that look off your face."
Chu Tiankuo lowered his voice, his tone icy.
"Do you want everyone to see something's wrong with us?"
Monkey's hand jerked, and the paper cup fell onto the table.
Tea spilled everywhere.
The Shield Fighter reached for a rag to wipe the table, his movements very stiff.
The Priestess was cowering, almost crying.
"Brother Chu, let's just quit The Consortium tomorrow. At worst, we'll leave Shimmering City."
The Shield Fighter spoke in a low, shaky voice.
"When I close my eyes, I see those monsters biting him. It's too terrifying."
"Shut up!"
Chu Tiankuo gritted his teeth, veins popping on his cheeks.
"Nothing happened. Today we were farming Level 5 monsters on the edge of the East District. We haven't seen Lin Mo."
"Understand?"
The heavy curtain at the hall entrance was lifted.
A tall, upright figure walked in.
The noisy hall fell silent for a moment.
The 150,000 points on the leaderboard this afternoon had made Lin Mo a forbidden topic in the camp.
Lin Mo's gaze swept the room and stopped at the southwest corner.
Then, he stepped forward and walked straight over.
Monkey's pupils shrank, his breathing stopping instantly.
He instinctively reached for the dagger at his waist.
Chu Tiankuo pressed down on Monkey's hand, the veins on his own hand bulging.
He desperately controlled his facial muscles, forcing a natural smile.
"Monkey, those Windblade Wolves today were indeed tricky."
"But our coordination was decent. Tomorrow, let's try to push into the Level 6 monster zone."
Chu Tiankuo raised his voice, his words echoing in the corner of the hall.
The Shield Fighter stammered in response:
"Right, those wolves' claws are really tough. They even left marks on my shield. Luckily Lin-zi healed in time."
"I... I should."
The Priestess covered her face, also stammering.
They used loud conversation to hide their internal panic.
Lin Mo walked to the table.
He pulled out the only empty folding chair and sat down directly.
The four of them went silent instantly.
Cold sweat on Monkey's back immediately soaked his combat uniform.
Chu Tiankuo turned his head, acting as if he had just seen Lin Mo, his smile flawless:
"Lin Mo? What a coincidence."
"You became famous in one battle yesterday. 150,000 points—everyone in the camp is impressed."
Lin Mo didn't speak.
He picked up an empty paper cup from the table and poured himself some hot water.
Steam rose.
"The quality of your clothes is pretty good."
Lin Mo's gaze fell on Chu Tiankuo's armor.
"Not even a scratch."
Chu Tiankuo's eyelid twitched.
Information processing sped through his mind.
Scratch?
Was he referring to how his clothes weren't scratched by branches when they were staking out that withered forest during the day?
Did he find out?
"Hunting in the wild, bumps and scrapes are inevitable."
Chu Tiankuo picked up his teacup for a tactical sip, hiding the dryness in his throat.
"We spent the whole day in the woods in the East District. It really wears out the clothes."
"East District?"
Lin Mo blew on the hot water.
"I thought you were on the high slope in the West District."
This almost made Monkey wet himself; his legs shook violently under the table.
The Shield Fighter's breathing was so heavy it drowned out the surrounding noise.
The Priestess almost screamed, quickly covering her mouth.
Chu Tiankuo put down the teacup, his fingers gripping the cup tightly.
Don't admit it.
Don't admit it even if it kills me.
As long as he doesn't admit it, Lin Mo has no evidence.
"The level in the West District is too high; we wouldn't dare go there."
Chu Tiankuo said without changing expression.
"I heard there was even a beast tide there today."
"Hundreds of magic creatures rioting—it's terrifying just thinking about it."
He deliberately brought up the beast tide to try and change the subject and see Lin Mo's reaction.
Lin Mo took a sip of water.
"That's called a beast tide?"
Lin Mo placed the paper cup on the table.
"With just those few monsters, it wasn't very interesting."
Chu Tiankuo's heart tightened.
"But your Drone was flying too low."
Lin Mo raised his eyelids, his gaze piercing Chu Tiankuo.
"The sound of the propellers gave me a headache."
These words were like a heavy hammer, completely shattering all of Chu Tiankuo's pretenses.
Even the details were pointed out.
He knew they were there from the very beginning.
Monkey couldn't hold on any longer and slid to his knees on the ground.
"Lin... Brother Lin! We have our difficulties too, it was all Ling—"
"Shut up! You idiot!"
Chu Tiankuo slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly.
Being punished by the camp was a small matter; betraying The Consortium was huge.
He must not let Lin Mo know about The Consortium's affairs.
Even if the impact was small, betrayal was betrayal, and The Consortium didn't allow such people to exist.
"Lin Mo, what exactly do you want?"
Chu Tiankuo lowered his voice.
"Our skills are inferior; we admit defeat."
"Whether you want to hit us or punish us, or even report us to the Camp Discipline Office, we'll take it."
He was gambling.
Gambling that Lin Mo didn't have substantial evidence.
As long as he didn't admit who lured the monsters, Lin Mo couldn't do anything to him.
Lin Mo looked at Chu Tiankuo's tense face and laughed inwardly.
So much drama.
"Report you?"
Lin Mo leaned back in his chair.
"Do I really need help from others to deal with you?"
The four of them felt a chill in their hearts, as if falling into an ice cellar.
Is he going to take action against us himself?
"What do you want to do?"
Chu Tiankuo's heart was heavy, and he gritted his teeth.
"As long as you let us go, we can compensate you."
"Compensate? Can you afford it?"
Lin Mo's words left the four of them speechless.
They really couldn't afford it; if their conditions weren't bad, why would they be dogs for The Consortium?"
Now that the mission to take first place had failed, they were likely to be discarded, with no capital to compensate Lin Mo.
Lin Mo held out a hand, palm up.
"If you want to live, do you have any more of that stuff?"
Chu Tiankuo was completely lost.
Monkey stopped shaking and looked up blankly from the floor.
The Shield Fighter's mouth hung open, forgetting to breathe.
The Priestess stared at Lin Mo, her mind blank.
"What... what stuff?"
Chu Tiankuo's brain couldn't process it.
"The stuff you used to attract monsters."
Lin Mo patiently described it.
"The smell seemed a bit sweet and fishy."
Chu Tiankuo's pupils constricted violently.
He's asking for monster attracting incense?
Extreme bewilderment made Chu Tiankuo forget to respond.
That was a contraband item given to them by The Consortium, originally meant as a trump card to screw people over.
And now, the person who was supposed to be screwed over was actually coming to ask for it?
"You... what do you want that for?"
Chu Tiankuo's voice was hoarse.
"Those few hundred during the day weren't enough to have fun with."
Lin Mo's tone was serious.
"I want to get a bit more. You should still have some in stock, right?"
Absolute silence spread across the table.
Monkey's mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out.
Chu Tiankuo looked at Lin Mo's calm face.
He confirmed the other party didn't mean to mock or threaten.
He really wanted that thing.
He called that small beast tide, which was enough to wipe out hundreds of squads, "not enough to have fun with."
Damn it, what kind of freak is this?