Chapter 10: When We Do Skills, We Need Perspective

The car smoothly started and drove into the night wilderness.

The atmosphere inside the cabin was somewhat tense.

After all, facing a wealthy young master exuding "money power" with a murderous female driver seated ahead, these young people simply couldn't relax.

Zhang Kai seemed to want to liven things up; he cleared his throat and forced a flattering smile toward Lin Mo:

“Um… Young Master Lin.”

“The dungeon we’re heading into is a Hard-level one—its monsters are fierce, nothing like the dumb wild creatures out in the open.”

Lin Mo was drinking cola; he nodded casually at this:

“Mm, and then?”

Seeing Lin Mo respond, Zhang Kai gained a little courage: “We four have trained together a long time; our tactics are precise. You’re just a blank… ah damn, a universal mage—your accuracy might be a bit off, and you could disrupt our rhythm…”

Here, Zhang Kai paused, then continued:

“So, once we enter the dungeon, how about you stay at the back? All the dirty, tiring work can be left to us.”

“Just treat this like a… trip? Even if you don’t fight, it’s still your greatest contribution to the team.”

The moment he spoke, the air in the cabin froze.

Xia Qingyue frowned slightly, feeling Zhang Kai had said too much.

This sounded like concern for Lin Mo’s safety—but put bluntly, wasn’t it just calling him a burden, telling him not to get in the way?

Lin Mo hadn’t spoken yet.

Squeee—!

The luxury car suddenly slammed on the brakes.

The massive inertia threw Zhang Kai forward; his face crashed hard against the seatback ahead.

“Oh shit!”

Zhang Kai screamed, clutching his nose.

Before he could complain, he looked up—and met a pair of icy, bone-chilling eyes through the rearview mirror.

Ye Hongyu gripped the steering wheel with one hand, staring at Zhang Kai through the mirror:

“If I heard correctly, you’re saying our Young Master is too weak to fight alongside you? Or are you teaching him how to do his job?”

“….”

“….”

The cabin fell utterly silent.

As a seasoned warrior, Ye Hongyu’s aura was far beyond what these students, who’d never left campus, could endure.

“I… no, sis, that’s not what I meant!”

Zhang Kai’s face turned ashen; he stammered: “I… I just wanted Young Master Lin to be safe… I’m bad with words! I deserve to die!”

Saying this, he actually raised his hand and slapped his own mouth:

“Young Master Lin, please don’t mind me—I’m just a loose-tongued idiot; just treat me like a fart and forget me!”

Wang Meng and Liu Weiwei beside him didn’t dare breathe.

They huddled in the corner, trembling.

Especially timid Liu Weiwei, her face pale, terrified the next to be called out would be her.

At this moment, they finally understood what “serving a lord is like serving a tiger” truly meant.

Even the usually calm Xia Qingyue now had a faint sheen of sweat on her palms.

She realized: before this seemingly kind-hearted wealthy young master, any careless word could lead to unforeseen consequences.

Lin Mo watched this scene, utterly speechless.

How did it come to this? Like he’d turned into some villain—specifically the kind the protagonist kills early on?

Xia Qingyue took a deep breath and stepped in to defuse the tension:

“Sister Hongyu, Zhang Kai really is clumsy with words, but he meant no harm—he was genuinely worried about Young Master Lin’s safety. Please don’t hold it against him.”

Lin Mo sighed helplessly: “Alright, Sister Ye, just drive. Don’t scare them. They meant well.”

Hearing the Young Master speak, Ye Hongyu’s murderous aura slowly receded.

“Hmph.”

She snorted, then pressed the accelerator again.

The car resumed motion.

Zhang Kai slumped into his seat, his back soaked in cold sweat; he silently swore he wouldn’t utter another word from now on.

And at this moment,

Little Fireball began to stir.

【『Fireball Spell』roared: I can’t take it! I absolutely can’t! That kid dared say you’re weak? Said your accuracy is bad?!】

【Who the hell is he? I killed more monsters yesterday than he’s seen in his entire life! This isn’t just an insult to you—it’s an insult to me!】

【If you nod, I’ll fly out right now and erase him so thoroughly not even his ashes will remain! Let him learn what ‘not lifting a finger’ really means!】

Lin Mo felt a pounding headache and quickly calmed the furious spell in his mind:

“Little Fire, Little Fire! Calm down!”

“He just blurted out one stupid remark—do you really need to kill him over it?”

【『Fireball Spell』furious: Why not?! A true powerhouse cannot be insulted! He's challenging my dignity! Burn him! He must burn!】

Lin Mo sighed heavily and lectured earnestly:

“Little Fire, we’re a skill—we need to have perspective.”

“If we kill someone every time they say something unpleasant, what are we? Murderous monsters? Villains?”

“This kind of ‘kill on sight’ thinking is wrong, understood?”

【『Fireball Spell』: …Pfft, hypocritical humans.】

“Power exists to protect yourself and those you care about—not to bully teammates.”

"If you're strong enough, facts will silence them. There's no need to kill over petty words—that's beneath you, and it crosses the line."

Lin Mo replied calmly in his mind.

【『Fireball Spell』still grumbling, but now quieted: Hmph… Fine, I’ll spare his dog life! Once we enter the dungeon, I’ll show them what real DPS looks like—blind their eyes with my output!】

“That’s better.”

Lin Mo smiled slightly.

…

About an hour passed.

The luxury car pulled up to a desolate rocky beach.

The doors opened, and everyone stepped out.

The night wilderness was bitterly cold—but for Zhang Kai and the others, who’d just endured Ye Hongyu’s death glare, the wind felt almost comforting.

“Young Master, we’ve arrived.”

Ye Hongyu walked around the car and respectfully opened the door for Lin Mo.

Lin Mo stepped out and looked around.

Ye Hongyu pulled out the ancient scroll.

“Coordinates confirmed.”

As the scroll burned to ash,

Wum—!

The air ahead violently shuddered, and a rift glowing with violet light tore open.

This was the dungeon entrance.

Ye Hongyu turned to Lin Mo:

“Young Master, though this is a trained team, dungeon conditions are unpredictable—please be extremely cautious.”

“If danger arises, don’t be reckless. Your survival comes first.”

Lin Mo nodded:

“Don’t worry, Sister Ye—I’ll take care of myself.”

Then Ye Hongyu’s gaze swept over Xia Qingyue and the other three.

“You four, listen carefully.”

“Since you took the Lin family’s money and accepted their mission, you must risk your lives to protect the Young Master.”

“If he comes out with even a single scratch…”

“Yes yes yes! Sister Ye, rest assured!”

“We’ll protect Young Master Lin with our lives!”

Zhang Kai and Wang Meng nodded frantically, as if ready to swear oaths on the spot.

Even the usually aloof Xia Qingyue gave a serious nod:

“Rest assured, as team leader, I am responsible for my members’ safety.”

“Go.”

Ye Hongyu waved her hand.