Chapter 508: Infiltration

Two days later.

"That… can't I skip it?"

The Banshee Krist said with a mournful face.

The moon hung high overhead, thick clouds obscuring it.

She was led away from the forest by Luo De and the halfling Lily, walking secretly along a path through the Twilight Hills.

When she first heard they were going to steal, she was delighted.

On one hand, her master had finally woken up; on the other, it was rare to have a chance to steal openly—she had been driven mad by confinement in the forest these past weeks.

"We're sweeping the dragon's vault, Krist. Isn't that your favorite thing?"

Luo De smiled.

The burns from the strong acid had vanished entirely; at most, a faint redness remained on her skin.

"But that's a DRAGON'S vault! I love money, but I love life more, Master!"

The Banshee wailed, "Even you got beaten to this state by the black dragon—I'd die just from one breath!"

"You've got it wrong, Krist."

Halfling Lily shook her finger, grinning cutely. "We're not just taking the black dragon's hoard—we're sweeping the red dragon's too."

She wore her usual leather armor.

But now it was a new set, darker in hue, better suited for stealth.

It carried a magical aura—clearly a high-quality magical item.

"Ah!? Then… then you don't need me, right? Tally's here—her shadow magic is far better!"

Krist pointed frantically at the succubus behind them.

The succubus had transformed today into a petite, flat-bodied dark elf: a cropped top, hot pants, and a long scarf—a bizarre assassin's outfit.

She trailed obediently behind, her gaze fixed constantly on her master's backside.

And she kept giggling foolishly.

Because they were preparing for battle, she ate two dinners at once today, and no longer looked listless as she had the past two days.

Her skin immediately regained its rosy glow, and her mood turned optimistic.

She now believed today was the perfect chance to win back her master's forgiveness!

"Dragons guard their vaults tightly—shadow magic always leaves a magical trace."

Lily shook her head.

"But you're different, Krist. Undead phantoms are naturally suited for scouting. Don't blame Luo De—I suggested it."

"S-scouting?"

Krist stared, dumbfounded.

One thing leads to another—this rotten master would never let go of a useful tool. Was she doomed to be a scout forever now?

She burst into tears: "You damn little dwarf of the Hero Alliance! When you convinced me to follow this guy back to Shi Ying Town, you said he was gentle and wouldn't mistreat me! But less than half a year later, you dragged me to bed, sucked me dry, and insisted on the back door! And now you throw these ridiculous parties with a whole bunch of women! Waaahhh! And now you want me to be a scout… Waaahhh~~"

"I must clarify—you're the one who said non-traditional methods were more comfortable and fun."

"I-I was drunk and talking nonsense!"

Lily looked slightly embarrassed.

She glanced at Luo De, who seemed utterly unconcerned.

"Scouting doesn't mean certain death, Luo De. Come on—you remember I told you not to touch her, right?"

"Sometimes, when passion takes over, there's no helping it."

"Passion my ass! I, you—" Krist was furious, nearly swearing.

But when she saw Luo De's cold stare, she shrank back: "I… I don't really feel that strongly for my master… it was half-hearted…"

Luo De himself was also a little concerned.

He asked: "Lily, are you certain you can handle the traps and defenses in the dragon's vault?"

Lily tilted her head proudly.

"You know about my dragon-slaying in Deepwater City. Sure, the green dragon I killed was a decoy—but the vault I found was real. Dragons live long, they hoard for ages, but most are just ancient relics clinging to outdated tricks—thirty-six magical traps, eighteen dragon golems guarding… utterly boring."

Luo De chuckled. "You cracked them?"

"Of course! Since childhood, I've never met a puzzle I couldn't solve! But it wasn't easy—this part requires Krist's help. If I hadn't done this before, I wouldn't have followed you just because you mentioned a vault!"

Krist, overhearing she had experience, no longer feared—she asked:

"How much gold did you take from the green dragon's hoard?"

"That old green dragon was cautious—he only left two hundred Jin Along to fool people. Looking back, my Hero Alliance comrades and I were too excited to notice how suspicious that was. A dragon doesn't call a hoard a hoard unless it's tens of thousands—no, millions—of gold."

Saying this,

Lily glanced at the Banshee and deliberately exaggerated the number by nearly a hundredfold.

As expected,

Krist's eyes sparkled.

She turned to her master: "If we succeed, how much can I get?"

"Depends on your performance. If there's really millions, a few ten thousand won't be a problem."

Luo De smiled.

"I want one hundred thousand! Then I'll buy a house! Open a fortune-telling shop on Xin Lanke Street! Hire ten or eight maids!"

Compared to Krist's excitement,

Tally remained calm.

She tugged Luo De's sleeve, pleading: "Master, Tally doesn't want anything—just please like me again. Really."

"Heh."

"Just a little bit of liking again…"

"First, do your job. Oh, and since you ate two dinners tonight, you get nothing tomorrow."

"Huh?"

Tally stared, dumbfounded.

All was silent, the night heavy and still.

Soon,

the group crossed the Twilight Hills and secretly arrived at Black Scar Mountain in the northeast.

The Twilight Hills were complex enough—situated at the border between mountains and plains, they featured towering rock peaks, deep gorges, and hidden caves.

Had this region not been in the far west with its extreme climate, it might have been an ideal lair for dragons.

Black Scar Mountain was the highest peak in the Twilight Hills.

Rumor said it was once a small volcano, but that was likely a thousand years ago—it now teemed with lush greenery, showing no trace of such a past.

And the red dragon Nase,

precisely because of his nature, arrogance, and lust for domination—even though this place was some distance from Coral Bay—he chose it as his vault site.

Tally cast 【Dark Veil Cloak】, drastically reducing everyone's presence.

They reached a massive fissure on the side of Black Scar Mountain, crossed a narrow natural stone bridge,

and finally entered the hidden cave, revealed only by Luo De's 【Insight Magic Eye】.

Inside the lair was a vast cavern of charred rock and obsidian.

After only a few steps,

the halfling girl spotted the so-called "thirty-six magical traps, eighteen dragon golems."

She expected something formidable.

But Lily and Krist took twenty minutes to lead them safely through.

Luo De's verdict: garbage.

But mainly because Lily was simply that skilled.

According to her, what she just did was unique on the entire continent—even if the highest experts from Bahadur Magic Academy were summoned, they couldn't have done it as cleanly.

True enough.

After all, she was the one who could break through the Half-Deer's 【Hero Amplification】.

Luo De immediately showered her with lavish praise, making Lily walk with her head held high.

After bypassing these defenses,

the group finally saw the dragon's vault:

Millions of Jin Along covered the ground, forming a golden sea.

Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds piled into mounds, radiating enchanting light.

In one corner, magical weapons, armor, and scrolls were heaped together; some still glowed faintly with ancient runes.

Massive statues, exquisite tapestries, and ancient pottery were carelessly tossed together—some even looked like relics from a lost civilization of the last century.

"Ahahaha—ahahahahaha—"

Krist became solid, laughing maniacally.

Barefoot, she stepped across the sea of coins, the metallic clinks ringing crisp and clear.

Tally looked around and spotted several red emerald orbs, picking one up curiously to examine it.

"I didn't expect it to be this easy."

Luo De stared at the treasure, its glow reflecting even on the cave walls, feeling a sense of unreality.

Tally elbowed him in the ribs.

"Don't talk like that—it's bad luck. Do you actually want things to go badly?"

"I was just saying it."

"A dragon's hoard has only three key points: first, identifying its hidden location; second, striking when the owner is away; third, bypassing the magical traps inside. You and I each handle one—second point just needs a little observation. How could it not go smoothly?"

"That's true."

As they spoke,

he was about to begin stuffing the treasure into his spell-sack,

when his Spider Sense suddenly trembled.

A gale surged forth.

Carrying the thunderous flap of massive wings.

Sensing its direction, it came from the cave entrance.

Luo De and Tally both froze.

They exchanged a glance, both wearing expressions of helplessness and bitterness.

(End of Chapter)