Chapter 274

"Giant" Simon was speechless for a moment, and only after a few seconds did he say:

"Are you crazy? If you can't pass, at most you just lose an opportunity."

"Rat" Cristos followed up:

"If the mission is very important, the boss would definitely go himself and wouldn't send us. If it's not important, then the risk wouldn't be high."

This line of thinking was similar to Lu Mian's at the very beginning.

Lu Mian glanced at the Underground Trier entrance not far away and deliberately laughed:

"Maybe our role is bait?

"For example, the boss suspects that some force is secretly monitoring us and specifically designed such a mission. If everything goes smoothly and there are no abnormalities, then the alert is lifted and it's treated as a test. But if something is really fished out, he can follow this thread to find out the truth and eradicate the hidden danger. As for whether we, the bait, will be eaten by the fish, that's not a problem he cares about. As long as he can ultimately achieve his predetermined goal, he can still afford the loss of a few low-sequence Beyonders."

These words made "Rat" Cristos's face turn a bit pale, while "Giant" Simon fell silent.

Although they didn't have much experience in the occult world, they had been mixed up in gangs for many years and had been leaders for a long time, so they still possessed basic analytical skills.

They had to admit that Charles's speculation had some logic.

This made them inevitably worry about their own safety.

Especially "Rat" Cristos; his mind was filled with the image of his younger brother Alken before he died and the painful expressions of his wife and children.

If the boss hadn't arranged other things for him at the time and he hadn't participated in that smuggling activity, he would definitely have been replaced by the so-called "Mirror Person" and died miserably in some corner underground.

And his wife, his pack of dogs, and the other animals he raised would have been enjoyed by that "Mirror Person" for a while!

Thinking this, the three of them lit their carbide lamps and silently entered the underground along the downward steel stairs.

"Rat" Cristos, aided by the yellowish light tinged with a bit of blue, looked around the dark tunnel and said with a slightly trembling voice:

"The boss shouldn't be deliberately letting us die.

"Although we are only low-sequence Beyonders, we all have our uses. If we die underground, the boss might have to spend half a year or even a year to cultivate new people who can replace us."

He was remembering that during the "Mirror Person" incident, the boss had him do other things, which was clearly to protect him without leaking secrets.

"Everything has a price. Maybe the chips to be exchanged this time are more important than the three of us combined." Lu Mian carried the carbide lamp emitting a yellowish light, walking at a steady pace through the dark, slightly damp tunnel, and sneered, "I also hope this mission is as the boss said and doesn't have much danger, but one cannot be naive; one must always guard against the worst-case scenario."

"Rat" Cristos, who had already sensed that Charles had gained a great improvement, asked involuntarily:

"What should we do?"

In his view, Charles was the most reliable person in this mission and a life-saving straw at a critical moment.

Hearing this question, "Giant" Simon turned his head and looked at Cristos with great surprise.

Since when did this "Rat" become so timid?

As fellow leaders under the boss, why did he choose to show his weakness and worry in front of Charles?

Where was his pride and self-esteem? Wasn't he afraid that Charles would suppress him from now on and erode his smuggling business?

Lu Mian wanted exactly this effect and said sincerely:

"The boss has helped me several times, and I am very willing to complete the mission for him, but the premise is that the risk of that mission is not particularly high and won't leave us with only 'death' as an option. Damn it, I haven't lived enough yet!

"So, my attitude is that if we can complete the mission, we will; if we can't, we will give up without hesitation to ensure we can still survive. And this might require the three of us to put down our guard against each other and cooperate fully to deal with the lurking dangers."

This attitude struck a chord with "Rat" Cristos and "Giant" Simon, making them nod, either obviously or imperceptibly.

No one is not selfish; being willing to take certain risks for the boss is already a sign of sufficient loyalty!

And having accepted this attitude, sincere cooperation to confront danger seemed to be the only choice, at least on the surface.

"How should we cooperate?" "Rat" Cristos quickly made up his mind.

He didn't want another "Mirror Person" incident.

Lu Mian laughed:

"First, we must understand each other's abilities so we can cooperate better."

Cristos hesitated for two seconds and said:

"I am a 'Beast Tamer', a Sequence 8 of the 'Pharmacist' pathway. I can fight many wild beasts head-on, and I can also communicate and interact with them to a certain extent, gradually taming them and making them my assistants.

"I can also help people see doctors and provide treatment; I'm capable in all aspects..."

Having said this, he couldn't help but glance at Charles, seemingly wanting to ask if he needed any potions to improve those abilities or replenish physical consumption.

He had heard that Charles, this young man, was very lecherous, not only having a hot affair with "Red Boots" mistress Jenna but also having affairs with nearly ten dancers, arranging for them to go to the Old Pigeon Cage Theater to learn to perform and earn money so they wouldn't have to accompany guests anymore.

"Pharmacist"? If I had known "Rat" Cristos was a "Pharmacist," I should have found him back then and fed Jenna's mother a few bottles of potions... If that had happened, Jenna's mother should have been able to recover and go home that night... Lu Mian sighed silently and nodded lightly in the illumination of the carbide lamp.

"Giant" Simon became more and more surprised and stunned as he listened.

He suspected that "Rat" Cristos had gone crazy, actually revealing his own sequence secret exactly as it was!

You have to know, before this, apart from the boss Gardner Martin, no one knew exactly what sequence Cristos was or which pathway he was in. After all, there were quite a few people in Trier who loved keeping pets, and there were also those who kept a whole bunch, and one could even occasionally see people in newspapers who took their pets as lovers.

In an instant, "Giant" Simon thought of a possibility.

"Rat" Cristos was in charge of the smuggling business and was the leader who completed the most of the boss's secret missions. He might know something and held a pessimistic attitude toward this operation, so he accepted Charles's words and chose to cooperate sincerely.

Cristos sighed and continued:

"My luck is bad; until now, I haven't tamed any true extraordinary creatures. Otherwise, even if I encountered mid-sequence Beyonders, I wouldn't be without the ability to fight them.

"This mission is very urgent and didn't give us time to prepare. I only brought a few partners with me. Damn it, are they afraid we won't die fast enough?"

As he spoke, he raised his right hand.

A snake-like creature with a triangular head and colorful, vibrant patterns darted out from his sleeve.

Immediately after, Cristos let the snake return to his sleeve and reached his hand into his pocket, pulling out a palm-sized rat.

That rat was different from the common ones; its fur was pale white, each strand distinct, and its pair of eyes were as vibrant as rubies.

"It's called Taffy. It's a special creature I discovered in this underground area when I was doing smuggling business. It cannot be used as the main material for any kind of potion, but it can sense hidden dangers." Cristos gave a simple introduction.

"It can also sense the approximate strength of other people, right?" Lu Mian asked thoughtfully.

Cristos looked at Lu Mian in astonishment, hesitated for two seconds, and said:

"Yes."

Seeing that this "Rat" had revealed enough information, Lu Mian, although suspecting he still had other abilities or other pets, didn't ask further and cast his gaze toward "Giant" Simon.

Simon hesitated for a moment, remembered his previous guess, and said in a muffled voice:

"I am a 'Fighter', a Sequence 8 'Martial Artist' of the 'Warrior' pathway. Like 'Hammer' Aite, I specialize in head-on combat and am proficient in various fighting techniques. I have a gun on me, as well as a short knife, a military dagger, and brass knuckles."

He spoke relatively briefly; after all, a "Martial Artist" didn't have any special abilities.

No magical artifact? That's right, it's indeed very difficult for gang thugs cultivated by such secret organizations to obtain magical artifacts... Lu Mian chuckled:

"You are stronger than 'Hammer' Aite because you have a brain and can recognize the situation."

These words left "Giant" Simon not knowing whether to be angry or proud.

Carrying the carbide lamp, he looked at Lu Mian and said:

"What about you? Which pathway's Sequence 8? 'Hunter'?"

Since they were going to cooperate fully, Charles couldn't hide anything!

Lu Mian smiled and raised his right hand, placing it flat in front of him.

Silently, a crimson flame emerged from his palm, hovering in mid-air and burning quietly.

"You're a 'Pyromaniac'?" "Giant" Simon blurted out in astonishment.

In the various occult circles of Trier, one of the things least lacking is information on low and mid-sequence Beyonders of the "Hunter" pathway, especially those below Sequence 6.

Lu Mian didn't respond, using a smile to replace the answer.

"Giant" Simon suddenly understood why "Rat" Cristos's attitude toward Charles had changed so much and why he presented a posture of seeking help.

Sequence 7 is the starting point of mid-sequence. Compared to them, these low-sequence Beyonders, it had a qualitative change, and his strength was unknown how many times stronger!

After withdrawing his gaze from "Rat" Cristos's pocket, Simon asked Lu Mian with surprise and suspicion:

"Does the boss know you've advanced to Sequence 7?"

"The boss helped me find the auxiliary materials." Lu Mian answered truthfully and let the crimson flame in his palm dissipate into the yellowish lamplight.

This... "Giant" Simon's pupils suddenly dilated.

Lu Mian looked left and right and continued:

"So, if I can complete the mission, I will definitely try my best to complete it."

After speaking, he moved forward while taking out an iron-colored potion bottle and throwing it to "Giant" Simon on the side:

"This is the 'Scorpion Poison' I got from 'Hammer' Aite. You can smear a little on your weapons.

"Improving your strength is also improving our chances of survival."

"Giant" Simon caught the potion bottle and was stunned for a moment.

Although this guy Charles was annoying and didn't get along with him, whether it was his insight, brain, strength, or style of doing things, he made people feel that he could be relied upon, and one would unconsciously listen to and follow him.

Lu Mian, who was walking in front without looking back, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had just exaggerated the risks and created fear precisely to suppress the spirits of "Rat" Cristos and "Giant" Simon, letting them fall into a state of worry, and then showing his strength, giving convincing advice and a few small favors, molding himself into the leader of this small team.

Only in this way could he fully exert the team's strength to confront potential dangers without exposing his trump cards.

(End of chapter)