novelraw Chapter 59 – Huh?
Chapter 59 – Huh?
The embrace of the Dark Elf made Xia Ya feel a bit better. He chatted briefly with the remaining NPCs and then leaned against a corner, curiously opening the party list.
Two names were grayed out, leaving only his own name lit.
He had no experience dealing with such situations—what should he do alone when two party members were offline?
Wait?
That was never his style.
But there was nothing he could do.
Andrew and Corian were both in a state of being completely unresponsive, which meant the progress of the mission was likely frozen, stuck in a truce period. Both sides were in a super energy-saving standby mode. Even though he had almost explicitly said, "You two, stop dawdling and get up to fight," they only looked at him with suspicion, not believing him.
It seemed like... your two teammates are sleeping in the corner, so why are you coming to discuss things with us?
Xia Ya encountered such an interesting situation for the first time. If he wasn't worried about not being able to wrap things up, he really wanted to see what would happen if he forcibly pushed the plot forward.
With nothing else to do, he leaned against the rock wall, lost in thought, his mind a jumble of memories and random musings.
His condition was getting worse...
Yveline watched him, her delicate brows furrowed, never relaxing.
She had a feeling that since earlier, Xia Ya hadn't been himself.
The usual Xia Ya couldn't be described as merely confident; he was a nearly omniscient man.
The Dark Elf knew well that a man as charming, powerful, and knowledgeable as him was respected even in a place like Andarheim, and the queen would welcome him as an esteemed guest.
Her resistance stemmed from the fact that there was always a place in her heart for Luxe.
The heart of an elf is small, leaving no room for others.
But she couldn't deny that even so, Xia Ya was gradually encroaching on the space that belonged to Luxe. She resisted yet couldn't resist... She constantly reminded herself to despise him, thinking that seeing him so downcast would bring her joy or schadenfreude.
But now she felt a faint anger and helplessness.
—Even my comfort isn't enough to lift your spirits?
Two faces suddenly flashed in the elf's mind, one was Sennia, the other was the priestess.
What if it were them? A gentle wife, a clingy priestess...
Maybe it would work.
This answer made her a bit jealous and faintly indignant.
Why?
"The fog outside seems to have cleared a bit, want to go out for a walk?"
Yveline suddenly slithered close, her voice barely audible.
We are "pawread.co𝑚", find us on google.
Xia Ya was startled, lifting his eyelids. "Ah, the fog's cleared? That's normal, it's because the Darkling Automaton absorbed some of it."
"Huh? What's a Darkling Automaton?"
"You, someone from the 'Abyss Faction,' need me to explain this..."
Xia Ya chuckled, then used a stone to draw a map of Howling Stone Canyon on the ground, marking an X at one spot.
"We're here." He pointed at the X, then placed a stone south of the X. "The automaton is here, guarding a Pay-to-Win Ruins, and it's also Synlos's minion." He suddenly remembered something and laughed, "If you tear up the Pact of Synergy and regain your original strength, we could venture in. The automaton is tough, but not too difficult for you at your peak."
"Sometimes I really don't understand what goes on in your head. I've lived around here for twenty years and never heard of any Pay-to-Win Ruins..."
The Dark Elf smeared the map with her dagger and pulled him up.
"Since you said so, let's go, accompany me for a walk."
"Alright, alright... if we get lost, don't cry..."
"Xia Ya's mouth, full of lies. I trust you!"
"......"
......
Xia Ya was indeed bluffing. He had been to Howling Stone Canyon countless times; it was still an undeveloped virgin land. Forget the fog, even with his eyes covered, he could walk to the entrance of the Pay-to-Win Ruins without stumbling.
"This is it."
Xia Ya stopped, the fog ahead was thinner, but it gave off a gloomy feeling.
If it were daytime, one would notice the fog here had a faint black hue, a result of excessive Arcane Energy concentration.
"Going further in will trigger the automaton's attack. With your perception and night vision, you should see a statue ahead, somewhere between a gargoyle and a hawk, right?"
"Yes."
"Approach it within 10 meters, and it will awaken. That thing is Synlos's spy. Note, it's not a metaphor; it's a literal spy. Darkling Automata are creatures born from Synlos's tears, and each automaton hatched is equivalent to Synlos's eyes—his actual eyes. What they see, Synlos sees. The actual observation range is 20-25 meters, but for ants like us under level 30, even if observed, we're not considered a threat."
Yveline listened attentively at first, but naturally ignored the part about tears. She thought Xia Ya was just making things up, though it did sound plausible.
"Hey, hey, hey, judging by your expression, are you about to mock me, saying 'How could the great Lord Synlos shed tears'? Since you're about to sincerely ask, I'll mercifully tell you—after destroying each world, he leaves a few tears, each drop filling a bucket. Of course, he's not lamenting the lost lives, but marveling at his own greatness~ How about it, haven't you gained some useless knowledge and are now in awe of me? Hahaha..."
The Dark Elf began to regret bringing him out for a walk. Now he seemed relaxed, but she felt stifled.
"How do you know so much about Lord Synlos... even I don't know these things."
"You still remember you're from the Abyss Faction?" Xia Ya laughed, "I thought you'd defected long ago."
"Hmph..."
The Dark Elf snorted indifferently.
"It's all because you threatened me! Once I find out where Luxe is, you'll pay!"
"Alright, alright... well, we've seen it, fulfilled our curiosity, can we head back now?" Xia Ya lazily turned around.
A walk indeed made him feel much better, he even felt a bit sleepy.
What worries? A good sleep would fix it.
The Dark Elf, though reluctant, compromised.
At least he seemed much better now, she thought. Xia Ya spoke with such detail, and she believed him completely, letting him lead her away.
The Pact of Synergy could only be formed once between two individuals with a significant power gap. If she tore it up, she wouldn't be able to stay by Xia Ya's side for a while. At level 45, wandering in populated areas, her excessively strong Arcane Energy would attract the Church of Judgment's attention.
Though she would leave eventually, she didn't want it to be now. As for the reason... she didn't want to think about it.
Just as they were about to leave, turning around, Yveline suddenly sensed something!
It was as if something behind them had opened its eyes... this wasn't perception, but a woman's intuition!
An automaton!?
Without thinking, she pushed Xia Ya forcefully.
"Run!"
Xia Ya only felt the air suddenly accelerate, followed by a powerful force from behind, pushing him forward.
Then, a surge of immense Arcane Energy rose, like a killer whale leaping from the deep sea, soaring high, charging straight at them!
He was all too familiar with this feeling! What else could it be but a Darkling Automaton?
Damn it, I've skirted the safety line so many times without issue, and now you pull this stunt?
"Tear up the pact! Quick!"
Just as he was halfway through turning, a shadow flashed above him.
Dense Arcane Energy enveloped them, and Yveline's movements were frozen by this will, unable to move.
Xia Ya slowly turned, the Frost Longsword slipping into his hand.
In front of him stood the automaton.
Its massive body, onyx-like skin, muscles glistening with a gem-like sheen, especially its eyes, staring at it felt like staring directly at Synlos.
Looks like I'm about to lose my first life here, thankfully the Dark Elf, being from the Abyss Faction, would only be punished, not killed.
Xia Ya took a deep breath, gripping the longsword tightly.
At that moment, the automaton suddenly spoke.
It bowed its head, humbly submitting, and in Synlos's voice, respectfully said:
"Child of the Abyss, your servant has awaited you for a long time."
"Huh?"