After everyone followed Rena onto the second segment of the trade route, they were noticeably much quieter than before.
Only Milo kept staring at Rena's back, not letting a single detail slip past him.
In Milo's memory, Rena was not this kind of person.
She was brave enough, but never this meticulous.
And she certainly wouldn't risk her own life to test a path that seemingly didn't exist.
Yet, these were ultimately just his memories.
It wasn't entirely implausible for someone to become more cautious and fearless after escaping death.
Milo gripped the wooden badge at his waist tightly.
It wasn't enough. This still didn't prove she was an impostor.
He needed more “facts” to be sure.
The mist on both sides of the stone road flowed slowly along the ground. Occasionally, thin roots poked out from beneath the decaying leaves, only to quickly retract.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the mist ahead suddenly thickened.
A wall woven from thorns and thick roots stood directly across the center of the trade route.
These dark brown thorns had sprouted from the ground, weaving a wall that completely blocked the road.
The wooden badge on the inside of Kolo's cloak flickered.
She looked down at it, then raised her head to stare at the wall of thorns.
“It's my turn.”
No one objected.
The obstacle was blocking the trade route; if they didn't deal with it, they wouldn't be able to move forward.
Kolo unstrapped the double-bitted heavy axe from her back.
“Please move aside.”
She walked from the back of the line to the very front as the people around her parted to make way.
Rena also took half a step back to avoid being caught by her brute strength.
Kolo gripped the handle of the axe, her arms sinking slightly.
In the next instant, a dark red light flashed along the blade of the axe.
【Mighty Weight】
She swung the double-bitted axe forward through the air.
The world fell into absolute silence.
In the blink of an eye, sound rushed back.
The wall of thorns ahead instantly shattered into pieces.
Milo instinctively swallowed hard.
As expected of a beastkin. This strength was simply absurd.
Kolo, however, looked as if she had merely chopped a piece of dead wood, retrieving her axe with ease.
Rena walked up to her side, her gaze lingering on the double-bitted heavy axe for a moment.
“Your weapon doesn't match your appearance at all.”
Kolo looked down at the axe, then back at her.
“I don't care, as long as it chops.”
Rena let out a soft chuckle.
True.
Just because someone looked cute didn't mean they had to wield a pink toy knife.
Isolde suddenly paused, falling into serious thought.
Actually... that didn't sound too bad.
Kolo suddenly looked up, the tip of her nose twitching behind her mask.
“There's something ahead.”
Rena followed her gaze.
Behind the scattered thorns, an abandoned wagon lay tilted in the middle of the road.
Its wheels were mostly rotted, and the carriage was deformed from being squeezed by roots. Stacked on the wagon were three large wooden chests. Two were relatively intact, while the topmost one had already cracked open.
Through the crack, several dark red crystals and a few gold coins covered in dirt and ash were faintly visible.
Zhou Yi immediately took a few steps forward.
“Holy crap! Treasure chests!”
Reece immediately said in a cold voice, “Don't touch anything until we figure out what's going on.”
Zhou Yi clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. “Aren't you being too tense? The stuff is right here on the road. What if it's a reward for clearing the path?”
As he spoke, he looked toward Xu Zhiheng. “Brother Xu, don't you agree?”
Hearing Zhou Yi call him, Xu Zhiheng snapped out of his daze. He cleared his throat, glanced down at his slightly glowing 【Acting Caravan Master】 badge, and quickly assumed a solemn posture.
“It's hard to say if it's a reward or not,”
Xu Zhiheng said, looking at the wagon with a more composed tone.
“But since the cargo has appeared on the trade route, as the Acting Caravan Master, I indeed have the right to handle it temporarily.”
Rena tilted her head and looked at him, raising an eyebrow slightly.
“Oh? Then may I ask, Acting Caravan Master, how do you plan to handle this unclaimed cargo?”
Xu Zhiheng's gaze swept quickly over the chests.
They were packed to the brim with good stuff.
If they could actually take these things out, they wouldn't have to worry about resources for a long time, let alone this dungeon run.
Suppressing the excitement in his eyes, he straightened his back. “We'll take them with us first. Once we leave this place, we'll distribute them based on each party's contribution.”
Zhou Yi nodded immediately. “Right, taking them with us is the safest bet.”
He first looked at Ryan, whose shoulder wound had not yet healed.
Then he looked at Severn. Though tall, the man was thin and quiet, clearly lacking the build for heavy lifting.
After looking around, his gaze landed on Damon, Reece, and Kolo. He pointed a finger at them.
“Hey, how about you guys? One chest each, perfect!”
The three of them stood in place, not moving an inch. Damon stared at him as if looking at an idiot.
Zhou Yi's temper flared under their stares, and he shouted, “What are you looking at me for? Don't tell me we need to—”
Mid-sentence, he suddenly looked down. The 【Porter】 badge at his waist had lit up.
The expression on his face froze. “...Am I supposed to carry them?”
Xu Zhiheng patted his shoulder. “Thanks for your hard work.”
Zhou Yi sucked in a breath. He yanked the wooden badge out, his face turning as sour as if he had swallowed a fly.
No way, right? They're actually using me as manual labor?
But the wooden badge was already glowing; there was no point in pretending not to see it.
Zhou Yi gritted his teeth and walked toward the wagon, grumbling under his breath.
“Fine, I'll carry them. But let's get one thing straight—I get an extra share of the stuff inside these chests later.”
Reece said coldly, “We'll talk about that once we're out. If anyone tries to pocket something now, I'll be the first to cut them down.”
Zhou Yi rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “Who does this local think he's threatening?”
He walked up to the abandoned wagon and bent down to pick up the topmost wooden chest.
The chest was lighter than expected. With a slight pull, the cracked lid slid open a fraction.
Several dark red ores clinked softly inside.
At the very bottom lay a crimson crystal, its edges shimmering with a faint golden light.
Zhou Yi's breath hitched slightly. This thing was definitely no ordinary ore.
He quickly scanned his surroundings. No one was looking.
Seeing that the timing and environment were perfect, Zhou Yi raised his hand, pretending to steady the sliding lid, while his fingertips slipped through the crack and pressed the crimson crystal into his palm.
Retracting his hand, the item was already stuffed into his waist pocket.
“Hurry up,” Reece called out to him. “Don't dawdle.”
Zhou Yi immediately picked up the chest. “Stop rushing me! It's heavy, why don't you try lifting it?”
Rena stood not far away, her eyes narrowing slightly.
When the lid slid open earlier, she had clearly seen a flash of red light at the bottom of the chest.
Now, it was gone.
Knowing Zhou Yi, he must have pocketed something.
Rena didn't expose him immediately. She looked at the other badges, finding nothing unusual.
Only the 【Porter】 badge at Zhou Yi's waist was still glowing faintly, as if confirming that he was fulfilling his duty.
If any other badges had reacted, she would have immediately forced Zhou Yi to spit it out.
But now, she wanted to see what kind of consequences one would face for stealing cargo.
Since Zhou Yi had walked into the trap of his own accord, she certainly had no obligation to warn him.
The three wooden chests were unloaded from the wagon one by one.
As the last one hit the ground, the broken wagon suddenly began to move on its own.
The rotting wheels emitted a harsh, grinding screech as the entire vehicle was dragged off the road by an unseen force, slowly sinking into the mist.
The dense fog ahead parted once more, and a second road marker came into view in the distance.
Rena took the first step forward.
“Let's keep moving.”
Zhou Yi stood in place, looking troubled. “Wait, how am I supposed to carry three chests by myself?”
In his agitation, he took a step forward, and the 【Porter】 badge at his waist lit up in response.
In the next instant, the three wooden chests on the ground seemed to be pulled by something, sliding forward a short distance in tandem with his movement.
Milo was stunned. “The chests... seem to be following you.”
Zhou Yi was also dazed. He experimentally took a step to the left, and the three chests slid over accordingly.
He stopped, and the chests stopped.
He walked forward again, and the chests obediently trailed behind him.
The gloom on Zhou Yi's face vanished instantly. He proudly put his hands on his hips and raised his chin.
“Ah, wonderful! Now this is my kind of work.”
The others ignored him.
With the chest-carrying problem solved, the caravan continued down the trade route.
The tree roots on the second segment of the road were much quieter than before.
They no longer actively attacked, merely writhing slowly on both sides of the road like a cluster of eyes hidden in the mud, quietly watching the caravan pass.
This excessive stillness only made Isolde more vigilant.
Rate on N.U.
