Everyone arrived safely in front of the second road marker, and all ten wooden badges lit up simultaneously.
They waited for a moment, and only after confirming that there was no damage backlash did they let out a collective sigh of relief.
This proved that Kolo's act of cleaving the thorns and roots earlier was indeed judged by the trade route to be within her scope of duty.
But before they could fully relax, everyone's gaze fell upon Milo once more.
As long as he completed the witness, the second segment of the trade route would be considered complete.
Milo held the wooden badge in his hand, feeling his palm grow burning hot.
Upon the surface of the badge, a line of small, dark red words slowly emerged from the dark red patterns.
【Second segment of the trade route awaiting witness.】
This time, Milo was not as panicked as before. He walked to the front of the road marker, slotted the wooden badge into the bottom groove, and took a deep breath before speaking:
“The Guide chose the correct main trade route, and the Pathfinder cleared the thorns and roots blocking the caravan's progress.”
Having spoken, he paused and looked back at the three wooden chests at the rear of the group.
“The caravan discovered abandoned cargo, and the Acting Caravan Master decided to claim it.”
“The Porter moved the three wooden chests from the abandoned wagon, and the cargo continues forward with the caravan.”
These were all things he had witnessed with his own eyes. As for what was actually inside the chests, he did not know, nor did he make anything up.
As his last word fell, dark red text emerged on the surface of the road marker.
Ding—
A copper bell chimed softly.
【Witness established.】
Just as Milo was about to retrieve his wooden badge, the copper bell at the top of the road marker swayed once more.
As the crisp chime faded, the three wooden chests following at the rear of the group opened on their own.
The dark red ores and gold coins inside floated up, suspending in mid-air.
【Cargo inventory check initiated.】
【Shortage registered in cargo.】
【Porter, dereliction of duty.】
When they clearly saw the words on the road marker, everyone's eyes locked onto Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi's face paled. “Why are you looking at me? It's not like I lost it!”
Just as he took a step back, the 【Porter】 wooden badge at his waist suddenly sprouted several tiny wooden thorns, which violently stabbed into his flesh.
Zhou Yi shrieked in pain, reaching down to rip the wooden badge off.
“Get off me! It wasn't me!”
“I was only—”
His voice cut off abruptly as a crimson crystal slipped out of his waist pocket, hit the stone road, and rolled to a stop right at Xu Zhiheng's feet.
Reece's face darkened completely. “You pocketed cargo?”
Cold sweat poured down Zhou Yi's face from the pain, but he still stubbornly argued, “I was just keeping it safe for the team!”
He bent over to pick it up.
“This thing is obviously valuable. What if it got lost in those broken chests?”
Ryan couldn't stand it either and said angrily, “Keeping it safe for the team means hiding it in your own pocket?”
“I was planning to take it out when we reached the road marker anyway!”
Zhou Yi still tried to make excuses, but Rena suddenly said in a cold voice:
“Stay away from him.”
Damon, who had already raised his shield, paused.
“Why?”
Rena stared at the wooden thorns constantly boring out of Zhou Yi's waist, her gaze turning cold.
“This isn't a tree root attack. This is the trade route's settlement.”
Attacking roots that actively invaded the stone road wouldn't lead to repercussions, but these wooden thorns were growing out of the badge itself.
They represented the punishment for violating the duty itself.
If anyone rushed forward to save Zhou Yi now, no one could guarantee they wouldn't be dragged into the reckoning as well.
Zhou Yi clearly understood this too. He clutched his abdomen, the anger in his eyes rapidly turning into terror.
“Brother Xu!” He stumbled toward Xu Zhiheng. “Brother Xu, save me! Xiaoman! Quick, heal me...”
Xu Zhiheng gripped his sword hilt tightly, but did not step forward.
His gaze first swept across the wooden thorns growing wildly at Zhou Yi's waist, then fell upon his own 【Acting Caravan Master】 badge.
The wooden badge showed no reaction for the moment, which allowed him to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
When his eyes drifted to Zhou Yi's pale face, Xu Zhiheng pulled Su Xiaoman back a few steps.
“Return the item first.”
Zhou Yi looked at him in agony. “Brother Xu...”
“Return it!” Xu Zhiheng's voice suddenly rose. “This is the only way right now!”
Zhou Yi's lips trembled, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth as he lunged desperately toward the crimson crystal.
But before his hand could touch it, even more fine roots erupted from the wooden badge, binding his wrists and ankles.
In the next instant, he was slammed hard onto the stone road.
The crimson crystal was scooped up by a thin root and returned to the wooden chest, the lid slowly sliding shut.
The text on the road marker shifted once more.
【Cargo returned.】
Just as a sliver of hope rose in Zhou Yi's eyes, new text immediately followed.
【Act of embezzlement established.】
【Porter position revocation initiated.】
All color instantly drained from Zhou Yi's face.
“No... No, I don't want to die! I don't want to die!”
Crushed by terror, Zhou Yi struggled frantically, but the roots abruptly tightened.
The sound of bones snapping echoed clearly on the stone road.
Zhou Yi opened his mouth wide, his cries for help turning into a mouthful of bright red blood.
He desperately stretched his hand out, reaching toward Xu Zhiheng.
“Sa...”
Xu Zhiheng did not move, even taking another step back.
Looking into his eyes, Zhou Yi finally saw the undisguised disgust and cowardice hidden within.
In the next instant, the roots violently dragged him off the side of the road.
Decaying leaves churned, and the black mud parted.
Zhou Yi's body was quickly swallowed up, leaving only the 【Porter】 wooden badge lying in the center of the stone road, stained with a bit of wet blood.
On the road marker, a new record slowly emerged.
【Caravan members reduced: 1.】
【Porter, dereliction of duty.】
【Acting Caravan Master, please reassign this duty.】
At the same time, the 【Acting Caravan Master】 badge in Xu Zhiheng's hand suddenly grew burning hot.
He looked down.
He discovered that at some point, a tiny, dark red scratch had appeared on the back of the badge.
Xu Zhiheng's fingers began to tremble:
“What... does this mean?”
Reece first looked at the blood-stained wooden badge in the middle of the stone road, then at the 【Acting Caravan Master】 badge in Xu Zhiheng's hand, realization dawning on him.
“So that's how it is.”
Damon frowned. “What do you mean?”
Reece said in a heavy voice, “The wooden badge doesn't just require you to work; it's also watching to see if you violate your duties.”
His gaze swept over the three chests sitting quietly at the rear.
“Pocketing cargo is a taboo for the caravan. He directly crossed the red line.”
Ryan glanced at the pool of blood on the ground. “So the guy got what he deserved.”
Damon also clicked his tongue, feigning pity.
But Zhou Yi had died too quickly, and too miserably.
So miserably that even Su Xiaoman covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound for a long time.
Xu Zhiheng, however, could no longer spare any concern for Zhou Yi.
He stared at the dark red scratch on the back of his wooden badge, his voice tight.
“Then what about this mark?”
Reece glanced at him. “You are the Acting Caravan Master.”
Xu Zhiheng's lips parted. “So?”
“So when something goes wrong in the caravan, you can't escape responsibility either. Since someone in the team did such a thing, it counts as your dereliction of duty.”
Xu Zhiheng's face turned completely white.
He had originally thought that 【Acting Caravan Master】 was just an easy, leisurely position.
No clearing the path, no fighting monsters, no carrying things—just following at the back of the team, with the nominal advantage of distributing cargo later.
But now he finally understood.
The 【Acting Caravan Master】 was not someone who just sat back and divided the spoils; he was the decision-maker of the entire caravan.
Every order, every disposal, and every mistake he permitted would ultimately be recorded against him.
That scratch was the first bill.
Xu Zhiheng began to regret it.
He hadn't expected this game dungeon to be such a complex "role-play."
First Han Jin died, and now Zhou Yi.
And both of them had died in such inexplicable ways.
This damn game dungeon, and these damn NPCs—just what did he have to do to clear it safely!
Xu Zhiheng suppressed the rage and anxiety in his heart. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he asked with a humble attitude:
“Then what do we do now? Who among you is willing to take it?”
Everyone looked at one another, none of them speaking.
The words on the road marker were still glowing.
It was like a sword hanging over everyone's heads.
Isolde stood to one side, quietly watching everything unfold.
The 【Porter】 didn't seem to require physically carrying the chests, but who knew how much cargo lay ahead?
Three chests were cargo, but ten chests were also cargo.
If it turned into a wagon, a fleet, or even the cargo of the entire trade route later, how much temptation could Xu Zhiheng withstand before taking it all for himself?
Moreover, for every ounce of power and responsibility added, the shackles tightened by an inch.
While enjoying the halo of fame and wealth...
One also had to accept the risks and the abyss that could arrive at any moment.
Rate on N.U.
