448 A trusted confidant! —A major threat!
A handful of sunflower seeds and shells gave Hu Jin three points of mental energy, enough to keep the virus in check for a while.
Hu Jin and Tao Cheng, having recovered, made a move to leave, but the surrounding monsters stirred up a commotion and eventually made way for them.
Red-eye is here!!
"Make way! Make way for 'Red-Eyed Boss'!"
"Are you blind?! This is one of your favorites!"
"Get out of the way!"
...
Just as 'Red Eyes' was about to step forward, Tao Cheng suddenly grabbed the rabbit's foot with a 'thud':
"My lord! Please be the judge! My brother and I were just passing by when we were bitten for no reason! The human skin we bought at a high price has a huge hole in it! We can't wear it anymore!"
How will my brother face anyone on the ship after this?! Waaaaah—! Misfortune always seems to strike at its weakest point!
While howling, Tao Cheng didn't forget to give Hu Jin a meaningful look.
Hu Jin had no choice but to endure the burning pain on his face and act along with Tao Cheng.
"Waaaaah... Brother, I have no good clothes to wear... Are we going to be kicked off the ship? Waaaaah~"
Damn it! He's in so much pain! This is a real wound! Before it was treated, his cheekbone was showing!
"Brother! Brother! Lord 'Red Eyes'! I beg you to do justice for my brother!! Severely punish the passenger who couldn't control his nature!"
Although the performance was embarrassing, at least the goal was achieved.
Tao Cheng successfully diverted 'Red Eyes' attention from the injured Hu Jin to the already subdued, crazed passenger.
The passenger, having lost his mind, instinctively began to struggle free from his constricting body, now looking like a sausage bound by thin ropes until it was deformed.
And soon the 'thin rope' began to break little by little, and when the skin was completely shattered into pieces, the monster's true form was fully revealed.
It was a green-skinned monster called a 'tall jumping spider'.
Having broken free from its constraints, it no longer suppressed its nature and tried to continue attacking and biting the surrounding passengers.
The virus altered the monster's physique.
This has led to the 'high-legged jumping spider,' a creature that originally relied on venom to dissolve the flesh of its prey and then suck out the blood, to grow sharp teeth that can tear apart chunks of flesh!
Judging from the fact that it could break through the defenses of a second-tier player in one bite and reach the cheekbone, the sharpness of the teeth catalyzed by the virus is evident.
'Red Eyes' waved his hand: "Take the uniform away!"
As soon as he finished speaking, none of the monsters he brought dared to move.
Although the 'High-Legged Jumping Bead' isn't a powerful monster, it's poisonous! Even a tiny bit of flesh that touches it will turn into pus!
We're all just working, why risk our lives?
Furthermore, for some reason, the 'tall jumping spider' in front of us had a row of sharp fangs growing from its mouth!
We still don't know if these teeth are connected to venom sacs!
In this situation, who would dare to take the risk?
Even worse, some people not only didn't step forward, but instead took a half step back, their eyes darting away.
'Red Eyes' remained in the same waving pose, which originally looked quite imposing, but because no one responded, it looked like a clown deliberately making a fool of itself to elicit laughter.
Its raised hand is caught in a dilemma: whether to put it down or not.
At this critical juncture, Zuo Cheng'an actively responded to the call and stepped forward!
With a look of gratitude in 'Red Eyes', he stepped in to suppress the 'Tall-Legged Jumping Spider' that was about to cause trouble!
——
High-legged jumping spider (infected)
[Constitution: 27]
Strength: 44
Speed: 60
...
Zuo Cheng'an quickly glanced at the monster's attributes and then estimated the strength that 'Mo Cheng' should possess.
In the end, it looked like someone was using all their strength to hold down the head of the tall jumping spider!
But ultimately, it seemed to be outmatched in strength, and was about to be broken free by the struggling 'tall jumping spider'.
'Red Eyes' immediately berated the idle monsters around him: "What are you all standing there for?! Hurry up and help Mo Cheng!"
With their most lethal heads already secured, they had no more worries. Reminded by 'Red Eyes,' they all grabbed their weapons and went to help.
Of course, even if the monster in front of them had a history of harming people, it was still a passenger on the ship.
The staff could not use violent or bloody methods in full view of everyone, so they could only restrain it first and then move it away.
In the chaos, Tao Cheng, who had already moved the injured Hu Jin to the safe zone, found an opportunity to return to the center of the chaos and try to get closer to Zuo Cheng'an.
Then he asked a question that might seem a bit confusing to outsiders: "Uh, what's the minimum order price for that 'So delicious you'll lose your head from spicy hot pot'?"
Zuo Cheng'an had known for a long time that someone was approaching him, but since he already knew that the person approaching him was a player, he did not make a sound.
Unexpectedly, this player was an acquaintance of his.
He thought that Tao Cheng, this frail intelligence officer, hadn't been squeezed into the instance, but he was unlucky enough to get in anyway.
Of course, to avoid any misunderstandings, he had to double-check.
"Who is the great monster who defends the interests of the lower three districts and sounds the alarm in the hearts of the ignorant?"
Holy crap! It really is you!
Tao Cheng's eyes welled up with tears. He had heard the name "Mo Cheng" from Zhou Longmao before, and later Zuo Cheng'an rose to fame.
After comparing information from various sources and examining photographs, he finally equated the two names, 'Mo Cheng' and 'Zuo Cheng'an'.
When I heard 'Red Eyes' shout 'Mo Cheng' just now, I thought I misheard. I almost thought it might be a monster with the same name.
Clinging to a sliver of hope, he came over to exchange the secret code with Zuo Cheng'an, and to his surprise, they actually matched!
It's truly a case of "when fellow villagers meet, their eyes well up with tears!"
But now is not a good time to recognize each other. The 'tall jumping spider' over there is already tightly bound, and it won't be long before the monster, having finished its work, notices the commotion here.
Therefore, Tao Cheng had no choice but to leave first after recognizing each other.
Meanwhile, 'Red Eye' was explaining the cause of the accident to the passengers on the ship.
"Dear guests, please don't worry too much. This passenger was just bound in human skin for too long, which is why he suddenly revealed his ferocity."
"Therefore, the ship's staff suggests that everyone should not suppress themselves too much and should set aside some free time each day to be themselves. If the room is inconvenient, the ship's staff provides a paid private room for everyone to use."
It only costs 100 Ladder Coins per hour! That's a great deal!
After a lengthy attempt to appease them, the passengers, who seemed to enjoy the drama, reluctantly accepted this explanation.
After the 'tall jumping spider' was dragged away, the crowd, having lost their excitement, dispersed to continue with their own business.
They narrowly averted a public relations crisis.
'Red Eyes' breathed a sigh of relief, but then a surge of nameless rage rose within him, and he pointed at the monster that hadn't dared to approach earlier and launched into a tirade of curses!
"I've raised you all for nothing! When it really comes down to it, you're not even as good as one of Mo Cheng's fingers! All of you, go back and reflect on yourselves!"
...
After this experience, 'Red Eyes's' favorability towards Mo Cheng skyrocketed!
Stand up for your master when he needs you! Debunk awkward situations when your master is embarrassed!
What is a confidant?
That's what you call a trusted confidant!
'Red Eyes' patted Zuo Cheng'an on the shoulder.
"Good little brother! I acknowledge you!"
Chapter 449 Your Dungeon and My Dungeon Seem Different
Zuo Cheng'an endured the faint smell of rabbit odor in his nostrils and waited for a while, anticipating what 'Red Eyes' would say next.
With so many underlings watching, shouldn't we give them some kind of reward according to procedure?
Set up an admirable role model so that others will work even harder.
But aside from patting it twice and leaving a lingering smell, 'Red Eye' didn't say anything else.
"Alright, I have something important to do. Everyone, keep working hard. If you do a good job, you'll get a lot of Ladder Coins and status!"
After saying that, it left, leaning on its cane.
"..."
For the first time, Zuo Cheng'an realized he was overthinking things; many unspoken rules didn't apply to monsters like 'Red Eyes'.
It's unclear whether 'Red Eyes' truly doesn't understand the principles of managing subordinates, or is merely feigning ignorance.
No, you can't just make empty promises like that, can you?
Just draw a pie in the sky!?
What happened to setting a goal that would make people envious and jealous?
He was mentally prepared to become the target of public criticism!
The other monsters were used to 'Red Eye's' actions and didn't find anything wrong with it.
They all seemed genuinely inspired by 'Red Eye's' few words, vowing to repent and learn from Mo Cheng.
'Red Eyes' was indeed pleased with everyone's performance: "Hmm~ Not bad, everyone, let's disperse."
As soon as 'Red Eye' left, the monsters surrounded Zuo Cheng'an, exchanging barbs.
Most of them were former workers from the 'Red Eye' era, and hadn't seen much of the world. They were much easier to fool than the monsters who worked as waiters in the upper decks of the cruise ship.
That's why they don't know the disguised identity that Zuo Cheng'an gave him on the other side of the game, and think that he is also one of the followers of 'Red Eye'.
"My God, buddy, what race are you? You're not afraid of the 'tall jumping spider's' venom!"
"Brother, you're really brave. You're going to such lengths to get to the Central Third District."
"Sigh, if I didn't have 217 eggs to nurture, I would have gritted my teeth and gone for it just now. I really have things on my mind."
"Brother, don't forget us when you become successful!"
...
Amidst the cacophony of voices, Zuo Cheng'an occasionally offered a few perfunctory replies.
He finally understood why, even without any substantial rewards, Red Eye's subordinates who worked for it for free remained loyal.
Because there's a giant family bucket version of a pie hanging in front of you.
It promised to smuggle the best-performing monsters to Central Region 3 after the cruise ship returned!
As for whether those who illegally cross the border can stay in the Central Three District for an extended period to receive training and increase their strength, that remains to be seen.
Whether they can survive, or even bring their families over, depends on their own abilities.
The mere existence of an unregistered, unlicensed smuggling quota was enough to drive these monsters from the lower strata of the region mad.
Regardless of whether this pie actually exists or not, just hearing its name is enough to make monsters drool for ages.
Therefore, it's only natural that 'Red Eyes' would assume that Zuo Cheng'an would also be tempted.
But in reality, it would be more satisfying to just give him some ladder coins.
The cost of living on the ship is too high, and you have to use Ladder Coins to bribe people everywhere. Unfortunately, Zuo Cheng'an's character is someone who doesn't lack money, so he has been spending money very hard these past two days.
Sometimes Zuo Cheng'an even felt a pang of envy and wanted to quickly uncover his identity so he could tear off the mask and start the zero-dollar shopping spree right there on the ship.
Of course, that was a last resort, done out of sheer desperation.
The other monsters didn't care about Zuo Cheng'an; they had their own work to do, and a few casual words of conversation were all they could manage.
They quickly dispersed and returned to their workstations.
Zuo Cheng'an didn't rush back to his room, but instead followed the direction Tao Cheng had left in.
Actually, there were Xiaoyue's common codes left behind by Tao Cheng along the way, but strictly speaking, he wasn't one of Xiaoyue's people; they only had some cooperation.
Naturally, they couldn't understand those codes.
But it's okay, he still has...
"Woof!"
Modou successfully completed his mission and returned triumphantly, reuniting with Zuo Cheng'an.
"Where nearby can you smell human blood? Go find it."
"Aww!"
This time, before Kadelina could even translate, Modou understood the meaning of "person" and "bloodstains" and confidently turned to lead the way.
Vocabulary is the foundation of a foreign language.
When countless grains of sand accumulate into a tower, the course "Human Language" will naturally follow.
...
...
Mo Dou led Zuo Cheng'an through the ship's cabin, eventually arriving at the lower cargo hold.
Finally, it stopped in front of a closed door with a potted plant placed at the entrance.
There was probably another machine running nearby, the purpose of which was unknown, which was why there was a constant, piercing buzzing noise in the vicinity.
Staying in this environment for too long would make both humans and monsters feel uncomfortable.
No wonder we haven't seen any monsters or human figures nearby.
Before Zuo Cheng'an could even knock on the door, Tao Cheng opened it and stepped aside to let him and Mo Dou in quickly.
"Come in without worry. I've placed some props nearby so outsiders won't see you enter. They'll just think you passed by the door and kept walking."
Upon hearing this, Zuo Cheng'an glanced again at the prop that resembled a small light bulb, hidden under the leaves of a potted plant by the door.
So it wasn't a gift from nature after all. Luckily, I didn't have time to reach out.
Tao Cheng was unaware that his precious 'Illusion Machine' had almost been stolen. After Zuo Cheng'an and Mo Dou entered the room, he quickly closed the door tightly.
Besides Hu Jin, who had facial injuries, Zhou Longmao and a female player named Li Lian were also inside the room.
They reacted strongly to Zuo Cheng'an's sudden visit, thinking that their temporary hideout had been discovered by monsters, and almost attacked him with their weapons.
Fortunately, Tao Cheng explained in time, thus averting a tragedy.
With the ink line as a living identifier, Zhou Longmao calmed down and immediately guessed: "You're Brother Zuo!? I knew it was you I saw at the banquet!"
He had previously worked as a waiter at banquets and had seen many monsters enter with canine pets. Among them, the most memorable were Inkstone and another giant wolf.
Trusting Zuo Cheng'an's abilities, Zhou Longmao began to proactively exchange intelligence with him.
"Our results were so-so; we only found two side quests: 'Red Handkerchief' and 'Abandoned Baby at the Dining Table.' We don't know the specific rewards because of the poor game signal."
As for the props, I'm even more ashamed to say that I only found a pearl placed in the tank at the aquarium restaurant. However, after trying to get my hands on it, I discovered that it was just a white prop with lighting capabilities...
They gathered a large group of people, but their exploration of the dungeon was so pitifully little that Zhou Longmao was almost embarrassed to admit it.
"And you? You must have found far more clues than we have, right?"
Having conquered level 4 dungeons, Zhou Longmao had clearly placed Zuo Cheng'an on the same level as team leaders like Gan Ran and Zhuang Jicheng.
Even Tao Cheng looked over, ready to listen quietly to Zuo Cheng'an's speech.
Zuo Cheng'an, who had been busy running around with the rabbit and hadn't even triggered a single side quest, was speechless.
"Well, I didn't find the side quest, but I did find other clues that seem to be related to the main storyline of the dungeon."
Hearing the first half of the sentence, everyone was slightly disappointed, but when they heard the second half, they couldn't help but feel their hearts tighten again.
"What clue!? Is it related to the debuff that deducts one point of mental energy from me every hour?"
Hu Jin, who had been lying down, struggled to sit up and asked anxiously.
Chapter 450 Feint