CHAPTER 410: CHAPTER 410: GAMBLE (SUBSCRIPTION REQUESTED)

"Truly worthy of coming from a noble family, will such a delicate girl hand herself over without a struggle? If she doesn’t, won’t we just take her? Ah! Hahaha." Casro, picking up his wine bowl again, lowered his voice to mimic Hel’s tone with a sneer, and his words immediately caused a burst of laughter among the nearby crowd.

Upon hearing this, Hel’s face flushed red with anger. She wanted to draw her sword but was stopped by Bailang’s stern look from not far away. Frustrated, she half-drew her longsword only to sheath it again, remaining silent.

"My subordinate’s words may be harsh, but that’s the truth, Miss Sifuer. Everyone knows our current situation—we’re not in a time to worry about decorum. The more combat power we have against the Red Calamity, the fewer casualties we will suffer. I hope you understand." Raphael looked at Sifuer with a troubled expression as he spoke.

"But wouldn’t this ruin the relationship between our realms? We need reinforcements now, and it can’t be disrupted for small gain...." Sifuer argued with furrowed brows, but Raphael waved his hand interrupting, "Miss Sifuer, although we are not nobles, it doesn’t mean we don’t think. Quite the contrary, there are some forms of underground communication that you’re not aware of. He’s a scout, and getting first-hand information is what he needs most. If he wisely hands over the puppet, we won’t harm him. He’ll get the intelligence he wants, and we’ll escort him back to the stronghold realm. Isn’t that enough? After he returns, he can completely report these losses as operational expenses for an infiltration mission. I think any loss from such deep enemy incursions is bearable, right?"

Sifuer lowered her head in thought for a moment, then looked up at Bailang. Seeing him nod at her, she was about to speak when a thought flashed in her mind, and she changed her words: "Fine, but if he doesn’t agree to this transaction, my squad and I won’t take part in the operation to seize him, nor will we share in any spoils obtained afterward."

"No problem!" Raphael agreed with a smile, then looked at Bailang and said with a grin, "Sir Bailang, let’s get the youngster to the shelter quickly. If he’s pursued any longer, he won’t hold on, and by then, no strategy will be of use."

Bailang said little, turned to look at the screen, and following Pei Yan’s guidance, pressed the communication button on his earpiece again, speaking in a deep voice: "Mr. Shitang, you should be clear about our location. I’ve got the approval from the shelter controller. You can come here for refuge without worrying about the pursuers—they can’t get into this place."

"Apologies, and thank you for your kind invitation, but as I’ve said, I have my own matters to handle for now. I can’t come over until these are resolved, after which I’ll find a way to you."

Listening to Pei Yan’s response over the earpiece and seeing his figure dodging frantically on the screen, Bailang’s voice became slightly urgent: "How long are you going to keep showing off? You’re currently facing pursuit from the Overlords and Magma Insects. There’s still a chance for escape. Soon, the pursuit units will get stronger; the Red Calamity will last an entire week before it recedes. If you don’t head to the shelter, you won’t get another chance. You’ll spend the next seven days in the wild, and that’s a path to certain death."

"That bug is called a Magma Insect? So the Red Calamity is time-limited and only lasts seven days? Thanks so much for the intel support. But I’ve decided to stay and continue with what I must do. If you could provide me with upcoming enemy details via the earpiece, that would be great."

Facing Pei Yan, who completely ignored his advice, Bailang regretfully turned off his earpiece, looked at Raphael, and recounted their conversation. Hearing this, Raphael squinted slightly and snorted coldly, "I’m starting to believe your words a bit now. This person is indeed an idiot. Unfortunately, he’s about to die in the wild, and who knows if the Disaster Legion will devour everything on him." With that, he relaxed, turned to one side, and a subordinate sensibly stood up to offer a broad chair. Raphael sat down heavily and took a sip from the goblet handed over by an attendant. He then pointed at the screen and mocked, "Place your bets—let’s see how long he can survive in the wild before he begs us for help. I trust Miss Sifuer’s description, so I bet he can last a day and a half!" He raised his goblet in salute to Sifuer as he spoke.

Upon these words, the entire tavern erupted into excitement. The long battles and the oppressive gloom had already broken the people’s nerves, turning them into bloodthirsty beasts. Such life-and-death betting instantly ignited their passion, and they started to shout and place wagers.

At this moment, someone suddenly laughed openly at the screen, "Boss, it seems you’re going to lose. Look at where that kid has run to in desperation—he’s done for! Hahaha! I bet he won’t make it through the night!"

Upon hearing this, Raphael looked toward the screen and saw Pei Yan darting through a mountain pass into the mountains at incredible speed. Seeing this, he shook his head helplessly, "I recall that inside is a mountain hollow, surrounded by mountains with only one exit. This fool is indeed seeking his own death. Once the exit is blocked, let this hollow be his tomb."

At this moment, Pei Yan listened to messages continuously being transmitted through his earpiece and snorted coldly. He felt that people from other realms could be adorably stupid, and sometimes being underestimated was an advantage. At least, the several Nanomechanical Insects he had left infested among them hadn’t been detected by anyone, and all the conversations at the shelter were transmitted back to him word for word.

Panicked in desperation? The terrain here had been thoroughly scouted by a drone ahead of his arrival. He chose this as the perfect ambush spot intentionally, temporarily shutting off the useless information transmission on the earpiece and handing it over to the Suzi system to record and filter useful info. Pei Yan was ready to focus on defending against the pursuing enemy forces behind him.

As Raphael mentioned, after entering the mountain pass, the swarming Magma Insects and Overlords quickly blocked the entrance, charging into the mountain hollow in a never-ending stream. Soon, the entire ravine was covered with Overlords, quickly forcing Pei Yan into the depths.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The advancing Pei Yan felt the scorching heat around him, finally understanding why these massive bugs were called Magma Insects. Jet after jet of molten lava rushed from their enormous maws, constantly sealing off the spaces where he might maneuver.

Seeing the mountain path grow narrower and Pei Yan seemingly trapped in a hopeless situation, Raphael tossed his wine bowl casually onto the table, feeling rather bored, "This kid’s a goner! Miss Sifuer, you’ve cost me a big bet here."

Standing in front of the screen, Sifuer watched as Pei Yan hopped around avoiding the lava attacks, yet still had the mind to pluck a mountain flower and examine it closely under such danger. For some reason, that thought surged again in her heart. With that, she removed her rapier and tossed it onto the table with a smile, "I bet he’ll make it through the night! Do you have a stake to match?"