Chapter 9: Threads of Inquiry

"It's not working," Ning Yun muttered, though she wasn't surprised. After all, if the mission could be completed so easily, the system wouldn't have given them four hours.

"Do you have any leads?" she asked, looking up at Xiao Qichen.

The man didn't speak; he simply circled the tree. "Let's check the surroundings first to see if there are any clues."

In his previous life, he had never entered this dungeon. Most dungeons were about killing monsters. Even in rescue missions, once the monsters were eliminated, the task was considered complete. He had never encountered a mission focused purely on healing. Was it because this game was still in beta? He hadn't participated in the beta in his past life; perhaps that was the biggest difference.

The limestone cave looked vast, but they reached its end before long. Fortunately, they finally found a clue. At the very end, there was a smooth section of the cave wall featuring a mural. The most striking element was a giant tree, surrounded by small figures kneeling and kowtowing on the ground. The figure at the front looked distinct, wearing what appeared to be a crown—likely a priest or someone of similar status. Around the giant tree, a series of lines extended outward, presumably representing "light."

"Xiao Qichen, look, this must be the Jade Purple Tree," Ning Yun said, pointing to the giant tree in the painting. "It really looks like it."

Xiao Qichen took a step forward. "This must be a depiction of people worshipping the Jade Purple Tree. It seems humans lived here a long time ago."

Yet, in the memories of the Jade Purple Tree, there seemed to be only animals.

Ning Yun’s imagination ran wild. She laughed and said, "Could this painting be instructing us that we need to worship the Jade Purple Tree to bring it back to life?" The thought amused her so much she chuckled.

Xiao Qichen looked at her intently. "Perhaps."

"Huh?" Ning Yun’s eyes widened. "I was just joking. You don't actually believe that, do you?" She thought it was a joke, but Xiao Qichen's demeanor was entirely serious.

"If we can't find any other leads, trying your theory isn't a bad idea."

Ning Yun frowned. "But I don't want to kowtow; it feels so weird." Especially kowtowing to a tree—it felt even stranger.

Xiao Qichen reached out and pointed to a detail on the mural that Ning Yun had missed. "For a sacrificial ritual, the offerings are more important."

Following his finger, Ning Yun looked closer. In front of the crowned figure were three strange objects, so inconspicuous compared to the tree and the people that she had missed them entirely.

"Is that a pig's head? The ears are quite clear," Ning Yun squinted, leaning in to identify the offerings. "The second one looks like food," she added, studying it carefully. "Could it be an apple?"

As for the third item, they stared at it for a long time without being able to make it out. Based on her limited historical knowledge, Ning Yun remembered that ancient rituals often required vessels. Could the third item be a bronze tripod? The mural made it impossible to tell.

Xiao Qichen didn't dwell on it. "Let's go find the items. They are likely on the monsters."

As they headed out of the cave, Ning Yun couldn't help her curiosity. "Did you spin the wheel? I got a great talent: a chance to get double resources when opening chests or chopping trees. What about you?" She trusted Xiao Qichen implicitly.

Xiao Qichen glanced at his blade. "I pulled the Crimson Blood Blade. It's a platinum-tier weapon."

As expected, what he held was no ordinary weapon.

"Platinum?" Ning Yun was curious. "I've only seen normal and bronze chests. How does the game rank them?"

Xiao Qichen hadn't had the time to explain many of the game's details to her. "Chests are divided into five levels: Normal, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Equipment that adds attributes follows the same system. However, food, daily supplies, and some special items don't have tiers."

Ning Yun listened, sighing, "It feels like this isn't just a survival game. Do you think there will be classes or cultivation systems later on?" People who loved reading novels always had vivid imaginations.

"No, there are only free attribute points rewarded to improve your physical stats." According to Xiao Qichen's memories, there were no classes until the day he died.

Ning Yun felt a bit disappointed. "It would be cool if there were classes. I'm curious what it would feel like to use magic." She picked up her dagger, pretending it was a staff, and gave a little flick. "Whoosh! Fireball!"

Unfortunately, no fireball appeared. Instead, a dark shadow emerged. Before Ning Yun could even react, Xiao Qichen slashed through it, killing it instantly. It happened so fast that she didn't even see the monster's face—just a shadow.

She felt deeply the gap between them. She struggled even to catch a rabbit, while he was one-shotting monsters.

After the monster vanished, it left behind two items: bread and a baseball cap.

"You take them; I don't need them," Xiao Qichen said, picking them up and handing them to her.

This time, Ning Yun didn't stand on ceremony. "I don't need the bread; I have plenty, and I don't really like it. I'll take the hat, though. It's perfect for shading me from the sun."

Xiao Qichen didn't object and tucked the bread away.

The seemingly quiet grassland held no animals, but it was crawling with monsters. They encountered two more, and Xiao Qichen dealt with both. This time, Ning Yun realized it wasn't that she couldn't see the monsters' faces—it was that the monsters had no faces at all. They were like three-dimensional shadows.

Whenever a monster appeared, she stayed far back, trying not to be a burden. She didn't believe that just because Xiao Qichen made it look easy, she could do the same. On what grounds? Her pathetic 5 points of strength?

Instead, she decided to play to her strengths: opening chests!

When monsters were killed, some would drop chests, and that was Ning Yun's stage.

[Ding! Congratulations on triggering your talent: 100% Critical Success!]
...
[Ding! Congratulations on triggering your talent: 100% Critical Success!]

Triggering her talent three times in a row, Ning Yun experienced the joy of "zero-cost shopping" for the first time! Except for some stat-boosting equipment, Xiao Qichen didn't want anything, so it all went into Ning Yun's inventory. His reason was irrefutable: "My inventory is full." She watched with her own eyes as he threw away matches after acquiring a lighter, so she knew he wasn't lying.

The grassland was smaller than Ning Yun had imagined. They spent over an hour killing monsters and managed to loot two of the quest items. Now, only one remained. Yet, for the last ten minutes, they hadn't seen a single new monster.

"Xiao Qichen, should we head back to the cave and take another look?"