Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1085: Chapter 1083: Dragon Summit Inn (7)

This three-person team does not seem to be the target I’m after.

In the room, facing the completely honest Ailina, Fu Qian silently came to a conclusion.

Catching up with these three people and learning about the specifics of the blessings was only one of the purposes.

More importantly, it was to pay attention to their current situations—such as whether they have any relation to being called Oath Abandoners.

After all, I had already confirmed that two of them had strayed from their vows.

However, now that I have interacted with them, neither Ailina nor Lorin’s son seemed particularly noteworthy.

Even though their mission target was ambitious, it was still within normal bounds.

“From what we’ve gathered, this ruin seems to be related to the faith of an Ancient Dragon from the Mythic Era.”

Seeing that Fu Qian didn’t speak, Ailina took the initiative to explain further.

“Unlike the so-called dragon species that can still be found today, that was a true mythic creature, even regarded as a Deity, although its revered name has long been lost to history.”

“The annual blessing that occurs here is considered a remnant of that faith’s power, and from what’s been explored before, it indeed tends to be quite chaotic.”

“Even so, there are still some extraordinary creatures formed by special powers, like the Soul Butterflies that can bewitch people’s minds.”

“And the so-called Ancient Dragon is fundamentally a similar existence, not a reappearance of a Divine Being, which is why we thought of trying our luck here.”

I see.

The information described by Ailina seemed highly credible to Fu Qian.

If it’s just a higher-level extraordinary creature, with the composition of this team, it’s not impossible to take it down.

Of course, that largely depends on Lorin’s power.

With proper guidance, the short burst of strength from a Demigod like him wouldn’t pose a problem.

…

“Sounds good indeed, so Gerard and his team are here for the same reason?”

He’s really familiar with the Wasteland, no bluff!

Ailina was secretly amazed once again; Gerard had never introduced himself in his presence.

“That should be the case; some minor gains they can easily trade from others, it’s not worth the great effort.”

Ailina sighed.

“The Ji Family felt the same, so last year the atmosphere was quite tense, although in the end, no trace of the Ancient Dragon was found…”

“But you still came.”

Fu Qian nodded, bringing up a question he had in mind earlier.

“Logically, you wouldn’t want to start a conflict with any of them. Is there something special about the items collected from the Ancient Dragon that makes it so imperative for you?”

“I don’t know.”

Unexpectedly, Ailina continued to shake her head, giving a wry smile.

“The only reason we came here is because the Sirens regard those items as very precious… what we really want is in the hands of the Sirens.”

I see…

Although Ailina’s words were a bit complicated, Fu Qian instantly understood.

“You want to secure the items first, and then trade with the Sirens?”

“Yes…”

Surprised at his quick insight, Ailina felt even more confident about her decision to be honest.

Tsk tsk!

Fu Qian shook his head inwardly, not asking further what specific items they wanted.

Of course, it was obvious enough; it must be something extremely important.

Their team is both strong and delicate; without sufficient motivation, they couldn’t possibly undertake such risks.

And the reason why they aren’t directly working as mercenaries for the Sirens is easy to guess—it’s not substantial enough.

As mercenaries, even if they achieve the goal, the contributions made wouldn’t be enough to trade.

It seems that what she wants is really valuable.

Snatching food from the jaws of a tiger, then trading it with the tiger—business is indeed strange!

“So Mr. Lu mentioned earlier that there will be more bloodshed in this blessing… May I boldly ask if that’s true?”

During the exchange, the extraordinariness that Ailina felt from his reactions deepened her concern, prompting her to ask the crucial question.

This man is certainly not a madman who sprouts nonsense, so the implications behind his earlier words inevitably alarmed her.

“Of course.”

“… How can you be so sure?”

“Simple. If there aren’t more, I will personally create more.”

Fu Qian answered very naturally.

“… Mr. Lu must be joking.”

This refreshing response made Ailina’s face stiffen, but she soon took it as his reluctance to answer.

“How can you be so sure?”

Fu Qian smiled slightly, repeating her question from earlier.

…

The current situation is still very clear; there are just two things I need to figure out.

Who is the Oath Abandoner?

For what reason is he doomed to a fate of death that I need to intervene personally?

This is also the purpose of interacting with various groups before.

Now it’s clear that the on-site forces can essentially be divided into four groups.

The openly opposed Sirens and Ji Family, starting from last year.

The low-profile but theoretically most powerful trio of Ailina.

And the common ragtag soldiers represented by Old Master Tieer.

These four, more or less, all have some conflicts of interest.

However, the issue now is that, in Fu Qian’s view, the intensity of these conflicts of interest is clearly insufficient.

From the earlier communication between Gerard and Amir, it seems that despite similar opposition last year, only one person from the Ji Family died.

Given the current lack of a strong leader, Fu Qian doesn’t believe the conflict between the two will be particularly bloody.

Not to mention, the two groups have some conciliatory intentions privately.

As for the others, the major conflict point is between Ailina’s trio and the Sirens.

The current situation is far from a bloody treasure hunting operation.

The doomed Oath Abandoner, who without help will certainly fall, doesn’t seem to be pinpointable through conflicts of interest.

Is it fundamentally unrelated to interests, and instead, someone using this opportunity to settle personal scores?

It’s not impossible, but that kind of motive is even harder to discover through normal deduction.

Given this, Fu Qian had thought of a more effective method earlier—start killing from the present, not sparing a single person, slaughtering everyone. If the mission fails when killing a particular person, that target can be directly protected to ensure their survival.

In fact, in Fu Qian’s view, this blood-filled approach is actually the best solution under the current circumstances.

Firstly, there are no issues with practicality.

As long as he’s willing, Fu Qian doesn’t think anyone could escape his pursuit alive.

Even if due to mission failure everyone comes back to life automatically, there would be no ethical issues in academia.

Lastly, it would also greatly save on the wear and tear of brain cells.