The door hinges let out a faint creak, and candlelight leaked through the crack. This room was smaller than the previous ones, and its furnishings were much simpler.
There was only one person inside.
The person was sitting on the edge of the bed at the far end, one leg bent with her foot on the edge, the other swinging idly.
She wore an obviously ill-fitting short gray robe with sleeves rolled up to her elbows. The collar hung loose and open, revealing a faded linen shirt underneath.
Her hair was a messy, uneven crop, looking as if she had grabbed chunks of it in one hand and hacked it off with a knife in the other. Her bangs fell haphazardly across her forehead, nearly covering her eyebrows.
Her face couldn't be described as delicate. Her cheekbones were slightly high, her jawline was sharp, and her lips were thin, carrying the sharp edge of a youth—like a knife that had not yet been sharpened.
When she saw Wu Yao's attire, it was as if she had spotted something exciting.
She leaped up from the bed, her movements too light and nimble for a fugitive cornered in a room. Her eyes swept rapidly over Wu Yao's robe and the staff in her hand.
Slipping her hands into the pockets of her short robe, she tilted her head and greeted her in fluent but slightly slick-sounding Common Tongue, “What distinguished guest comes calling in the middle of the night? If you want a drink, the lobby is out front. If you want to sleep... this room is occupied, but the one next door is empty.”
Wu Yao didn't take the bait. Her quest had updated.
【Prerequisite quest completed. Quest status updated!】
【Clue Quest: Renegade Mage】
【Quest Description: You have found the renegade, but her identity seems more complex than just a 'thief on the run.' How did a youth break through the strict laws of the Mage Association to enter the academy, and what drove her to defect at all costs just to take those things? You are determined to find out the truth.】
【Hint: This is a dialogue-triggered quest. Its progress will automatically advance as you obtain information.】
Wu Yao rolled her eyes internally. The quest system was making decisions for her again. Who cared why she defected?
Wu Yao looked up after scanning the quest panel.
The youth still wore that playful grin, but a layer of scrutiny had crept into her bright eyes. She was observing Wu Yao's reaction.
Wu Yao cast an Appraisal first.
【Darian of the Ken Family】
【Age: 21】
【Affection: 2/100】
【HP: 70/100】
【Skills: Deception Lv.12, Gambling Lv.10, Socializing Lv.9, Information Gathering Lv.8, Forgery Lv.8, Combat Lv.5, Spellcasting Lv.4】
Wu Yao's gaze lingered on the skill list for a moment.
For a mage, her Deception was eight levels higher than her Spellcasting. This was truly an unprecedentedly eccentric build.
“Renegade Mage?” Wu Yao leaned against the doorframe, tilting her head to look at her.
Darian raised an eyebrow, plopped back down on the edge of the bed, crossed her legs, and leaned back on her hands, chin tilted up as she looked at Wu Yao.
“Renegade Mage? That's not a very nice title.” A playful curve hung on the corner of her lips, her eyes shining in the candlelight like two polished glass beads.
“Who told you I was here? If you tell me their offer, how about I offer you a higher price? I should at least be allowed to name a price for myself, right?”
She watched Wu Yao's reaction as she spoke.
Wu Yao couldn't be bothered to beat around the bush with her. She simply raised her right hand, a thread of emerald wood element light escaping from her fingertips.
The light rapidly elongated and reshaped itself in midair into a thumb-thick vine, darting toward the youth like a living snake.
The smile on Darian's face finally cracked.
Her pupils shrank slightly, but she didn't retreat. Instead, she kicked off the edge of the bed with force, leaping into the air and narrowly evading the vine.
As she landed with one hand on the floor, her other hand had already reached for the dagger tucked behind her waist.
But the vine was faster.
Before she could even draw the dagger, the vine wrapped around her ankle and snaked up her calf, binding her entire body like a tight cocoon.
The dagger slipped from her hand, clattering onto the floor.
Darian tumbled back onto the edge of the bed, her back colliding with the bedpost.
She instinctively struggled twice, but the vine tightened immediately, squeezing a sharp breath out of her. She simply gave up resisting.
She looked up, a smile returning to her face. Although she grimaced slightly from the vine's squeeze, her eyes remained incredibly bright.
At the same time, a bright red health bar appeared above her head.
Looking at the health bar, Wu Yao raised her right hand reflexively. The fire element danced merrily in her palm, its orange-red glow reflecting in her eyes.
Darian's smile froze at last.
Her gaze rested on the fireball for less than half a second before she instantly switched to a completely different expression.
Her eyes widened round and large, her lips pouted slightly, and her eyebrows dipped. In a split second, she transformed from her previous cunning, slick self into a pitiful little animal.
“Wait, wait, wait, wait!” She raised her hands in surrender with dramatic movements, her tone sincere. “If you kill me, you'll never get the thing you want!”
The fireball stopped an inch from her face.
The heat wave blew a few strands of her bangs up before they drifted back down.
With a flick of Wu Yao's finger, the fireball spun obediently around her fingertip before she casually snuffed it out.
“How do you know what I want?” She took a step forward, looking down at Darian, the candlelight casting her shadow over the girl.
“Well, you didn't come knocking in the middle of the night just to chat, did you, Your Excellency?”
Darian tilted her head back. Though bound hand and foot by the vine, she still managed to squeeze out a smile.
“Besides, those useless fools chasing me don't even understand what I stole from the Mage Association. But you're different. One look at you, and I can tell you're someone who knows your stuff.”
She delivered this flattery smoothly and naturally, her tone even carrying a hint of sincerity, as if she were genuinely marveling at Wu Yao's taste.
Wu Yao's gaze drifted away for a moment, as if she were looking into empty space.
Darian keenly caught this detail and immediately seized the opportunity, her words tumbling out like rapid gunfire: “You're a witch, right? I bet you like magic arrays, potions, runes, and all kinds of knowledge, don't you?”
“I've hung around the Mage Association for so many years. I can't boast about much else, but I know exactly where all the good stuff is kept.”
Her voice dropped slightly, taking on an intimate sincerity, as if she weren't begging for her life but sharing a secret meant only for the two of them.
“Whatever you want, I'll help you get your hands on it. Just let me off the hook. You know I'm a renegade anyway; I have absolutely nothing to do with those bastards at the association.”
Her tone carried a perfect blend of contempt and familiarity, subtly grouping Wu Yao onto her side with her words.
Rate on N.U.
