Chapter 15: Entrapment

Before long, the four lieutenants compiled everything they needed into a single list and handed it over.

Xia Er picked it up and glanced through it — holy shit, they really weren't holding back.

The list was so densely packed his eyes nearly crossed.

There was no way Li Shen alone could gather this many materials as a one-man labor force. Judging by their attitude, the others probably weren't planning to spread the word either — but that was fine...

Xia Er had plenty of ways to let people know he was a [Side Quest NPC].

He opened the forum.

Selected anonymous posting.

After a moment of thought, Xia Er launched into his favorite pastime — crafting a carefully worded little essay.

[I've been seeing a lot of heated debate on the forum about the "Undead Archmage" boss lately. A lot of people are blaming the studio for secretly nerfing the design, but I think you're all looking at this the wrong way.]

[What is the Oracle studio known for? Attention to detail. Do you really think they'd randomly plop a boss this powerful right next to the starter village for no reason?]

[There's clearly more going on here.]

[Based on my experience, this Undead Archmage almost certainly has a side quest attached to him — and it's definitely not a simple one. I wonder if any brave souls out there would be willing to try approaching him in a friendly manner.]

[Just a random passerby sharing my thoughts. No hate, please.]

Once he finished editing, he hit send!

This topic already had a high level of engagement, and the post was noticed almost immediately after going up.

After reading through the content carefully, players who had been ranting about the developers' sanity suddenly had a change of heart.

Right!

A side quest!

How had none of them thought of that?!

Replies began pouring into the comment section one after another.

[Holy shit, that actually makes sense. The Oracle studio really doesn't seem like the type to make such a rookie mistake.]

[Side quests are usually tied to NPCs, aren't they? I've never heard of a boss having a side quest attached to him...]

[Wait — why post anonymously? Could it be that the studio got roasted so hard they made a throwaway account to drop hints for the players?]

Staring at the anonymous avatar of the poster, players began to sense something was off.

That tone...

That way of speaking...

A "random passerby"? Yeah, right!

Everyone knew that people who called themselves "random passersby" were never actually random passersby.

[Guys, hold on — I'm heading to the Undead Domain to test the waters!]

[Hey, you trying to hog the side quest all to yourself? Not a chance!]

[Thanks for the tip, legend. I'm already on my way.]

Watching the lively replies roll in one after another, a faint smile crept onto Xia Er's face.

Now this — this was entrapment done right. (Leans back smugly)

He promptly issued an order to his domain lieutenants: "Before long, adventurers will probably start trickling into the domain."

Tienu immediately caught on: "Understood, Lord Xia Er. I'll beat them all flat!"

Xia Er: .......

Who told you to beat them flat?!

Xia Er silently rolled his eyes. "Let me finish."

"When these adventurers arrive, maintain a neutral stance. And if they start asking questions, respond with nothing but cryptic riddles."

The sudden twist left the lieutenants a little bewildered. After a moment, Avril asked in confusion: "What do you mean by cryptic riddles?"

"Talk in circles. Say vague, murky things."

"Things like: 'Those who know, know.' 'The people behind this go too high up.' 'The waters run deep.' 'This isn't as simple as it looks on the surface.' That sort of thing."

Xia Er launched into his cryptic-riddle training program.

* * *

Outside the Undead Domain.

A sizable number of players who had seen the forum post had already gathered here.

Qiu Yue was among them.

As the biggest victim among those who had tangled with the Undead Archmage, she couldn't for the life of her understand how a boss sitting right next to the starter village could possess such an absurd level of intelligence.

First the beta players had been wiped out. Then the beta squad. Eventually they'd even brought in a job-advanced player — and still hadn't managed to lay a finger on him.

But now, after being nudged in the right direction by that "anonymous poster," her perspective on the Undead Domain had shifted completely.

"Stay friendly..."

Recalling the hint from the anonymous post, she thought it over for a moment, then quietly unequipped all her gear and slowly walked into the domain.

This time...

The lieutenants, who had previously been so openly hostile, merely watched her from a distance without making any move to attack — completely different from before.

Could there really be a side quest here?

The other players who had been too nervous to approach saw this and caught on quickly. They hurriedly unequipped their gear and followed her in, one by one.

As they drew close to the castle, the terrifying Undead Archmage finally appeared before the group.

"Hiss..."

"Quite a crowd you've brought."

Stepping out from the castle, Xia Er did a quick scan — he counted at least four or five players.

He'd only posted that thread less than an hour ago. He hadn't expected them to move this fast.

Xia Er looked over the group of players and let out a low, measured question: "What brings you here?"

The players' spirits surged at the Domain Lord's words!

This was different from before!

In the past, forget getting close to the castle — they'd have been killed the moment they stepped near the domain's edge. And yet now, they were actually having a conversation!

Qiu Yue took a deep breath and bowed her head. "Lord Xia Er, I've come to offer my sincerest apologies."

"Some time ago, for reasons I'm not proud of, I trespassed upon your domain. I feel deeply remorseful..."

"This is what I've prepared as an offering."

As she spoke, Qiu Yue opened her palm — three flawlessly pure Magic Crystals appeared before Xia Er's eyes.

Holy shit!

Three flawless Magic Crystals!

The moment he saw them, Xia Er's eyes nearly went straight.

In Oracle's currency system, flawless Magic Crystals were the highest tier in existence — they couldn't be obtained through combining lower-grade ones or any other crafting method. They only dropped from bosses or certain side quests, making them extraordinarily rare.

As a broke Domain Lord, Xia Er honestly didn't have this much in his own savings.

"Quite the loaded lady..."

He recognized the username [Qiu Yue] — she was the one he'd looted that orange-quality ring from. She really didn't scrimp when it came to spending.

"Very well. I can feel your sincerity."

Xia Er nodded and, without a moment's hesitation, pocketed all three Magic Crystals.

He then turned his gaze to the three players standing behind her. "And you?"

Players: .........

Damn!

They'd been hoping to slip through unnoticed, but no such luck — he'd spotted them anyway.

Flawless Magic Crystals were far too rare for them to produce on the spot, but with such a shining example set before them... showing up with something shabby would probably get them booted from the domain in the next second.

One player offered up their gift with a pained expression: "These are ten soul fragments from level-twenty-or-so monsters. They should be of some use to you, my lord."

"And I have..."