"Don't worry about the zombies. There's a magical barrier there, so they won't be able to do any damage!"
To completely dispel any doubts, he gave a brief explanation of the Questing Ram.
After hearing the details, Kapil's vigilance mostly vanished.
When he learned of a place so rich in resources and treasures, he even began to feel a sense of gratitude.
People always said the players from the Samurai Nation were small-minded, petty, and vengeful.
But looking at it now, they seemed like such good people!
The audience was also somewhat puzzled.
"Is that for real? Diamonds, gold—five different types of resources in one place?"
"How did the Samurai Nation find such a luxurious spot? And they're actually bringing Kapil along?"
"Wait, what is Mountwell doing? Does he really want to make peace with the Indus Kingdom?"
"I know! He's using this as an opportunity to assassinate Kapil!"
"Bullshit! Allies can't hurt each other. During the Crisis, you can only leave an alliance if Mark allows it, and that's obviously not happening!"
"They're definitely just scared. The Samurai will eventually have to kneel at the feet of our Indus Kingdom!"
"I saw the footage. While the Crumble Horn isn't as good as the Annihilation Cube, it has a similar effect. Not bad!"
"Think about what was said earlier—it's all thanks to Mark!"
"Haha, our Mark's words carry weight! If he tells them to make up, they make up!"
Like Kapil, most of the audience happily assumed the Samurai Nation was sincerely trying to ally, and they enjoyed the spectacle.
The viewers from the Samurai Nation, however, were the most bewildered.
Some guessed they wanted to seize the SlashBlade, but that theory didn't quite fit.
Knowing that the Enchanted Forest's barrier had failed, they could have warned Kapil or stopped him from going.
But Mountwell and Oakmoor hadn't just sent Kapil to his death; they chose to go with him as a team.
This was strange.
Since allies couldn't hurt each other, did they truly repent and want to reconcile?
Filled with doubt, the audience continued to watch.
While everyone was busy studying the Wandering Trader, no one cared what the three of them were doing.
Re-entering the Twilight Forest, Ronan Mountwell pulled out a map.
"Do you have the wool ready? Don't worry, just follow me!"
This wasn't just a free ride for resources; the price was more than a dozen different colors of wool.
The wool was difficult to obtain, which actually made Kapil feel more secure.
Getting something for nothing would have been suspicious, but since there was a price to pay, it felt legitimate.
Kapil followed confidently behind Ronan Mountwell, heading toward their destination.
Despite having a map and knowing the target's location, Kapil noticed that Mountwell was moving in an erratic, winding pattern.
It made him lose his sense of direction, leaving him feeling dazed.
He sensed something was off, but then he thought about how they had a map and shouldn't get lost, so he didn't give it much more thought.
Half a day later, they finally reached the Enchanted Forest.
Just as Ronan Mountwell had said, the place was filled with trees of every color.
It was a beautiful, multi-colored sight, and in the center stood a giant ram.
Checking the time, Mountwell began to smile.
"Kapil-san, we can start dyeing the wool now!"
Mountwell had brought the wool, and Kapil brought the dyes. They set down a crafting table and began processing the items on the spot.
As the sky gradually darkened, Kapil didn't panic.
Mountwell had said the Enchanted Forest had a barrier. The zombies wouldn't be able to get in, so there was nothing to fear.
Besides, the fact that the two men beside him were so calm was proof enough that it was safe!
"What exactly is Mountwell doing?"
"Is he really going to let Kapil have the reward? Those items aren't that valuable, are they?"
"The barrier broke long ago. It's not like they don't know that. Is there really something there?"
"Strange. I don't get it."
Knowing the barrier had failed but seeing that the two hadn't left, the higher-ups of the Indus Kingdom didn't send a warning.
They continued to dye the wool slowly, expanding the Questing Ram's body.
Until the sky went pitch black and a Blood Moon rose.
"It's actually a Blood Moon!"
As the red orb hung in the sky, Ronan Mountwell looked even happier.
He took several steps back, putting distance between himself and Kapil.
"Great! Kapil-san, the zombies are coming. We're heading out now!"
"Wait, what do you mean zombies are coming? Heading out?"
Before he could even react, he saw the two of them drink something and vanish instantly.
Invisibility Potions!
He remembered now—when they were near the Wandering Trader earlier, they had used emeralds to trade for those!
Zombies wouldn't attack invisible players. In that case...
"The barrier is actually gone, isn't it?"
Kapil already knew the answer in his heart.
If there was a barrier, why would they need to drink Invisibility Potions? They weren't fools.
Doing this was purely to target him!
Seeing this, the audience finally understood.
"Brilliant! This plan of Mountwell's is genius!"
"Since you can't hurt an ally directly, you just get someone else to do the dirty work!"
"How vicious! Luring him into the Twilight Forest and letting the zombies finish him off?"
"The best part was the way they took that winding path. They completely disoriented Kapil so he couldn't even find his way back!"
"You Indus Kingdom trash, who's the one kneeling now?"
The act had been so convincing that no one expected the backstab to come so suddenly.
"Did you think about this day when you were backstabbing your own masters?"
"In the words of the Nine Provinces, this is a taste of your own medicine!"
Knowing exactly what kind of person Kapil was, Ronan Mountwell smiled.
An arrow hit its mark, and Kapil was struck with a Slowness effect.
Knowing he wouldn't survive, his heart was filled with intense hatred.
"You bastards! I'd heard the people of the Samurai Nation were treacherous, and today proves it!"
"But did you really think you could get your hands on the SlashBlade this way?"
Kapil pulled out a Proud Soul and crushed it instantly.
He had accumulated energy while fighting zombies earlier but hadn't had time to use it; now, he chose to destroy it entirely.
As the energy drifted toward all the players, they heard the announcement.
[SYSTEM: INDUS KINGDOM PLAYER KAPIL HAS VOLUNTARILY DESTROYED THE PROUD SOUL AND THE USAGE RIGHTS TO THE SLASHBLADE.]
[SYSTEM: FOR A PERIOD OF THIRTY DAYS, THE SLASHBLADE TRIAL PERIOD IS ACTIVATED FOR ALL PLAYERS.]
[SYSTEM: AT THE END OF THE TRIAL, THE PLAYER WITH THE HIGHEST PROGRESS WILL PERMANENTLY RECEIVE THE FULL SLASHBLADE MOD AND TRIGGER A NATIONAL DESTINY REWARD!]
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