Shen Nian was Top 1 and the founder of Sharp Blade. She was virtually unkillable in missions and could enjoy the world's top resources.
She could enjoy them without any psychological burden.
Yet, she chose the most difficult path.
"She..."
Nan Yue spoke, her voice sounding a bit hoarse.
"She took two people with her back then. One was a healing-type who could bring anyone back from the brink as long as they didn't die instantly."
"The other was a psychic-type with a very special ability for mental communication."
In other words, even if all three of them died out there, they could at least tell the people in the city state what exactly was outside.
They had studied world history, but it was limited to the time when the pollution first broke out. They didn't know how large the world was or how far apart the city states were.
They were essentially ignorant of the world they lived in.
"What happened after that?"
Nan Yue tightened her grip on her spoon, feeling tense.
"When they left the city state, they were in constant communication with Fu, which proved they didn't die the moment they touched the pollution."
"It was just painful."
"Extremely painful."
"All three of them were incredibly powerful. For them to say it was painful, it must have been something beyond normal imagination."
Nan Yue thought of the things inside her and felt a deep sense of empathy.
"They were gone for two days, according to how our time flows."
"Then, the communication was cut off."
Nan Yue frowned. "Cut off?"
Lan Jing Shui didn't answer her immediately this time. He silently finished his cup of cold tea.
"The psychic-type man cut it off voluntarily."
"He left behind two sentences."
"Abandon all hope."
"And... do not come looking for us."
Nan Yue found it hard to believe. Just hearing about it, she knew how resolute these three must have been and how obsessed they were with their goal.
Even experiencing the horror of pollution hadn't made them think of turning back.
What on earth had they encountered?
To make them issue such a warning.
They clearly knew everyone was waiting for news, yet they still gave such a final testament.
It was... it was as if they were telling people to give up the fight, give up exploring, and just settle for the way things were.
"I didn't expect such a result."
Lan Jing Shui's tone grew much lighter. "No one did."
"Everyone thought... she would come back."
Nan Yue glanced at Lan Jing Shui. He looked to be in his late thirties. Could he and Shen Nian...
"I'm sorry. Shen Nian was someone very important to you, wasn't she?"
Lan Jing Shui was taken aback, then a warm smile appeared in his eyes.
"Yes, she was the most important person to me, but only in my heart."
"Too many people loved Shen Nian. She was powerful, brave, and charming. Everyone in Sharp Blade loved her."
Nan Yue could see his sadness and changed the subject.
"I understand. The chance of survival in an extreme mission depends entirely on the scavenger's ability. This is our fight against the pollution."
Lan Jing Shui quickly returned to his composed state. "Exactly. Of course, Sharp Blade hasn't given up on exploring. We've just adopted a gentler approach."
"For example, founding the profitable Cuckoo to collect information."
"And the Re-training School..."
Lan Jing Shui spread his hands helplessly. "The training academy doesn't teach enough."
No one understood better than scavengers who had left school that compared to real missions, what they learned in school was just textbook knowledge.
Although the Qualification Exam filtered out most people, the base number was large, and many scavengers survived every day and every year.
More importantly, there was an element of luck in the Qualification Exam. Many scavengers' exams were even simpler than a mock exam.
This screening method caused many potentially powerful scavengers to lose their lives during the Qualification Exam.
It also allowed some lucky, muddled scavengers to reach the real world, only to die in later missions.
Nan Yue thought of Zhao Zhenzhen.
"Fu Xi Ming still carries out Shen Nian's original intention."
Lan Jing Shui let out a long breath. "Naturally... if you were to ask who was closest to Shen Nian, it was Fu."
"Fu admired Shen Nian the most. I remember for a long time, she even imitated Shen Nian's style and haircut."
His tone lightened as he thought of something amusing.
Nan Yue smiled as well. "You've answered many of my questions. What do I need to pay?"
Lan Jing Shui winked at her. "I've noticed that the missions you enter are quite difficult."
Nan Yue's face fell. It was a long story of suffering.
Lan Jing Shui was amused by the girl. "So, I hope you can share the information from your missions with Sharp Blade."
"It doesn't have to be too specific. Just the general direction of the mission, or any scavengers you think we should keep an eye on."
Nan Yue hadn't heard of anyone entering the same mission world twice, so she guessed they were providing materials for the Re-training School.
And assessing the overall difficulty of missions.
"No problem."
Although clues could be sold for money, she wasn't short on points now. Establishing a long-term partnership with Sharp Blade was a good deal.
"By the way, you know the mission worlds have their own screening and allocation rules. From what we've gathered, scavengers who have shared a mission experience are more likely to be assigned to the same mission again later."
Lan Jing Shui added. This was likely to help the Scavenger Project progress more effectively.
No wonder. Nan Yue had wondered why she had run into the same scavengers several times despite there being so many of them and so many missions.
"I've added you as a friend. You can share your information directly with me in the future."
Nan Yue opened her Neural Interface and saw Lan Jing Shui's ID: "I Really Love Pretty Ladies."
Nan Yue: ...My silence was deafening.
Lan Jing Shui was also fiddling with his Neural Interface. He saw the photo taken at the beef noodle shop.
For some reason, he suddenly felt a surge of "it's good to be young."
Ten years ago... he was just as energetic...
"Alright, I'm off. If you need help, you can find us."
Lan Jing Shui shrugged. "Our fees are very reasonable."
Nan Yue suddenly remembered something. "By the way, do you know Huo Fuyu?"
Lan Jing Shui raised an eyebrow. "We collaborated once. His ability is quite useful as a teammate."
There was a bit of teeth-gritting in his smile. "But if he's not a teammate, it's very annoying."
Nan Yue was amused. It seemed Lan Jing Shui had been tricked by Huo Fuyu before.
"In short, that man has no bottom line when it comes to survival."
Lan Jing Shui turned and walked away. "Then again, he's just like most scavengers."
Nan Yue sat in the coffee house alone, not leaving immediately. She thought about Wen Xiang Yuan. That matter would have to be handled slowly and carefully.
Lan Jing Shui was too sharp—or rather, Sharp Blade was too sharp.
Rate on N.U.
