Chapter 59 Alliance?
The thought flashed through Gu Yunqing's mind, but he quickly suppressed it. Right now, the more important thing was to deal with the increasingly severe situation in the instance.
After completing the mission at the ancient ruins, the temporary team disbanded in the town square.
The continuous high-intensity battles and the rich rewards left most players with a mixture of fatigue and excitement on their faces.
However, this relief did not last long.
A figure blocked Gu Yunqing and her companions who were about to leave.
It's Elena.
Elena, the Holy Maiden of Light who always presented herself with a holy and composed demeanor, now looked somewhat pale, and her emerald eyes held a lingering worry.
Behind her were the two devout believers and Han Chunhua, who looked somewhat uneasy.
"Mr. Gu, please wait." Elena's voice was still ethereal, but it carried a hint of barely perceptible urgency.
Gu Yunqing stopped, a perfectly timed look of confusion on her face: "Your Excellency, is there something you need?"
Wu Jueji leaned lazily against a stone pillar, as if it were none of his business.
Jun Xiangbei and Wuyan also stopped and observed the situation.
“Mr. Gu.” Elena’s voice was no longer cold and arrogant, but contained a hint of helplessness due to reality. “You all must be well aware of what happened last night. The power of evil is growing stronger every day.”
Her gaze swept over Wu Jueji, who still looked like he hadn't woken up yet, behind Gu Yunqing, and a barely perceptible longing flashed in her eyes.
"Our [Aesthetic] House's own resources, especially my Holy Light, are being consumed far more at night than we can earn during the day through those low-level tasks." She frankly admitted their predicament; the gap between their funds and the target amount was widening.
“I’ve noticed that Mr. Wu possesses a… very unique and powerful ability, which seems to always be able to deal with threats of varying intensities.” Elena finally revealed her purpose, her tone filled with a sincere request.
"On behalf of the players who chose the [Aesthetic] room, I hope to form an alliance with Mr. Gu. We are willing to pay a certain fee in exchange for the protection of Mr. Wu's abilities at night."
Her suggestion, seemingly a weaker party seeking help from a stronger one, actually contained a hidden calculation.
[Aesthetically pleasing] Players in the room do not need to deal with nighttime attacks, so they can conserve their energy and focus on making money during the day.
In Elena's view, Wu Jueji's "50/50" ability was simply the perfect guarantee against nighttime attacks of unknown intensity.
If they can form an alliance, they can almost rest easy and focus solely on their economic goals.
In an instant, everyone's attention was focused on Gu Yunqing.
Jun Xiangbei and Wuyan stood quietly to the side, observing Gu Yunqing's reaction.
Jun Xiangbei wanted to know how this unpredictable man would choose when faced with such readily available resources and potential dependence.
Wu Jueji lifted his eyelids, lazily glanced at Elena, yawned, as if the matter had nothing to do with him, and leaned back against the wall to continue his "resting with his eyes closed".
Wang Hu looked at Gu Yunqing with some nervousness. He thought that it would be good to have an extra source of income.
Gu Yunqing listened calmly to Elena's request, without any surprise on her face.
His gaze swept indifferently over Elena and the expectant players in the [Aesthetic] room behind her, then glanced at the other players with varying expressions not far away, and he instantly weighed his options.
Alliance? Asylum?
It's completely unnecessary.
First of all, while Wu Jueji's "50/50" ability is powerful, it is not without its costs.
Sheltering more people at the same time means that he needs to devote more mental and physical energy to maintaining that strange balance, which will increase unnecessary risks and burdens.
He and Wu Jueji worked together seamlessly, enough to handle the current intensity of the night, so there was no need for them to make things more difficult for themselves just for a little "protection money".
Secondly, while players in the "aesthetically pleasing" rooms may seem to be in a difficult situation, they have the advantage of not having to pay penalties during the day and being able to focus on making money.
If they are guaranteed safety even at night, their economic growth rate will be terrifying, and they may very well overtake or even surpass others.
This is not in Gu Yunqing's interest; he would much rather see these "competitors" continue to be worn down under the threat of the night.
Finally, and most importantly, he has his own plans and pace; his goal is never just the instance, but Jun Xiangbei.
Almost the instant Elena finished speaking, Gu Yunqing had already made up her mind.
He gave a slightly apologetic but distant smile and spoke in a calm but firm tone:
“I’m sorry, Miss Elena. Thank you for your trust, but I have no plans to form alliances with other teams at the moment.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, as if stating a simple fact:
"I have my own plans to carry out, so I'm afraid I can't afford to be distracted by anything else."
Direct, straightforward, without any fuss or excuses.
Elena's face drained of color instantly, her holy smile froze on her lips, and a look of disbelief and embarrassment at being rejected flashed in her eyes.
She hadn't expected Gu Yunqing to refuse so decisively, leaving no room for negotiation.
The players in the "aesthetically pleasing" rooms behind her also showed expressions of disappointment and anxiety.
"Mr. Gu..." Elena wanted to try again.
Gu Yunqing nodded slightly, not giving her a chance to speak: "Sorry, good luck to you."
After saying that, he ignored Elena and the others, turned around and gestured to Wu Jueji and Wang Hu, and prepared to leave the square.
Wu Jueji lazily straightened up and followed behind Gu Yunqing, never once glancing at Elena.
Elena watched Gu Yunqing's resolute back as her slender fingers gripped the hem of the holy robe tightly, her knuckles turning white.
Disappointment, resentment, and a sense of humiliation at being belittled intertwined in her heart.
She thought she had lowered her stance, but this was the result she got.
The chat in Elena's livestream was filled with surprise.
"She refused! Gu Yunqing actually refused!"
"That's normal. Why bring a bunch of burdens along?"
"The [aesthetics] room is just a bunch of decorative vases, except for Elena who is somewhat useful."
"The saintess's face turned pale with anger, hahaha."
Gu Yunqing: Don't touch me, you're interfering with my money-making.
Jun Xiangbei took in all of this, and as he watched Gu Yunqing's departing figure without hesitation, a faint trace of pleasure, which he himself did not even notice, quietly swept across the depths of his eyes.
After being decisively rejected by Gu Yunqing, Elena took a few deep breaths and forced herself to calm down.
She knew that anger wouldn't solve anything.
Elena's gaze swept across the remaining players in the square, finally settling on Han Chunhua, who had also chosen the "Aesthetics" room but whose ability control was quite good, and Ji Changyu, who always managed to make money from risks and seemed to have overdrawn his resources last night.
These two people, one with enormous potential for superpowers and the other daring and willing to take risks, perhaps... can be put to use.
Elena put on her compassionate smile again and walked towards Han Chunhua and Ji Changyu.
“Miss Han, Mr. Ji,” Elena’s voice carried a perfectly balanced blend of gentleness and earnestness, “it seems we are both facing some… difficulties. With evil at hand, perhaps those of us who need help more should unite and support each other?”
She extended an olive branch to the two, attempting to form an alliance consisting of players in the "aesthetically pleasing" rooms and some seemingly "weak" but capable individuals.
Han Chunhua was simple-minded. When she saw the beautiful saintess taking the initiative to invite her, and thinking about her weakness last night, she was immediately tempted and looked at Elena longingly.
Ji Changyu narrowed his gambler's eyes and quickly began to calculate.
Joining the Saintess's alliance might mean greater safety at night, if the Saintess can hold out, but a portion of the money earned during the day will likely have to be shared... Risks and rewards...
Ultimately, under Elena's persuasion and the pressure of reality, a temporary alliance, led by Elena and including Han Chunhua, Ji Changyu, and the two followers she brought with her, was barely formed.
However, it remains to be seen how long this alliance can last, after all, Elena is not as simple as she appears on the surface.
Gu Yunqing had no interest in following Elena's movements.
After leaving the square, he took Wu Jueji and Wang Hu with him, but instead of immediately accepting the mission, he went to the town's general store again.
"Boss, have there been any... unusual rumors circulating in town lately? Or, is there anyone who needs... a little unconventional help?" Gu Yunqing asked casually, placing a few silver coins on the counter.
The shopkeeper, a shrewd middle-aged man, calmly accepted the silver coins and lowered his voice: "Special rumor? You know old John in the north of town, right? His grandson went to play near the cursed manor a few days ago, and fell ill when he came back. He keeps talking nonsense and has chills all over his body. Even the priest couldn't help him."
"Old John has been searching for extraordinary people like crazy these past two days, and the reward is quite high... However, that place is very eerie, and no one dares to take the job."
A cursed manor?
A glint flashed in Gu Yunqing's eyes.
Sure enough, high-risk areas often hide high-reward missions, and these are likely to be unique or trigger-based hidden missions.
"Thank you, boss." Gu Yunqing put down a few more silver coins, turned around and left the general store.
"Brother Gu, are we... going to that cursed manor?" Wang Hu's face was pale, and his voice was trembling.
Just from the name, you can tell it's not a good place.
Wu Jueji yawned and mumbled, "Sounds more interesting than killing scorpions."
Gu Yunqing did not answer directly, but looked at the area shrouded in gloom to the north of the town.
His "plan" is to explore these areas that are marked as "dangerous" by the rules.
Perhaps the key to breaking the deadlock, and... even greater benefits, lies there.
As for Elena's so-called alliance, it was nothing more than using two innocent players for her own benefit.
He smiled slightly and strode towards the north.
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