Chapter 116: Side by Side

You can know someone's face but not their heart.

Lin Ke could not trust the other party just because Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke suddenly changed her fickle, face‑changing style.

As previously mentioned, Lin Ke considered his relationship with the Se Lin witch, and furthermore did not want a well‑equipped but unpredictable person to keep spying on him from the shadows, so he chose to accept teaming up.

What tricks could still be pulled under one's very nose?

At most, it would just leak his whereabouts.

But even without teaming up, Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke could still find him with her bionic eagle in hand.

If one truly wanted to leak Lin Ke's whereabouts and draw a siege, there would be no difference between teaming up or not.

Moreover, if Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke harbored ill will toward Lin Ke, she wouldn't need to appear in such a farcical manner.

She could instead carefully devise a better way to gain Lin Ke's trust more effectively.

Now that they have teamed up, Lin Ke certainly won't show too much wariness or aloofness on the surface.

"How about we divide the work?"

Lin Ke sought Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke's opinion.

"Good, good."

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke raised both hands in approval.

Anyway, she didn't really care about her results in the Two Districts Grand Comparison, treating it as just a fun outing.

After unexpectedly discovering Linke Grand, she recalled several amusing matters the Se Lin witch had mentioned while chatting with her sister, and also recalled the bet between the Pa Luo witch and Peter, and the Lai Ang Nei Er witch.

In order to secure a close‑up viewing spot, Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke, feeling enthusiastic, sought out Linke Grand to form a team.

Now that they have successfully teamed up, the next step is to cooperate with each other as much as possible.

So she can stay with the team until the two sides, because of the bet, openly marshal their forces and engage in fierce combat.

12 versus 279—just thinking about it feels thrilling.

"Your bionic eagle will handle high‑altitude oversight and wide‑range reconnaissance, while my four reconnaissance puppets will take care of close‑range vigilance—does that work for you?"

Lin Ke put forward his idea and waited for Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke's reply.

"No problem."

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke agreed without a second thought.

She even proactively offered, "Would you like me to hand over control of the bionic eagle to you?"

"No. Even if one could control that many devices, one would still do it poorly, which would only hinder reconnaissance efficiency."

Lin Ke did not agree, politely refusing with an excuse.

Even so, his reconnaissance system became fully three‑dimensional.

In fact, even adding another bionic eagle—or even two more—would pose no problem; if he fully operated the Brain Seal Technique and entered an extreme state of rationality, Lin Ke could manage them, handle them well, and even have spare capacity.

It's not that he can't; he simply doesn't want to.

Where is the logic in a teammate snatching things from a teammate's hands?

"All right."

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke, though rejected, didn't mind and quickly accepted.

"If we encounter a sudden battle, how should we divide the work? Who will command? I'd like to hear your opinion."

Lin Ke posed the question again.

This point is very important, extremely important.

When teaming up, natural cooperation is required, and precise division of labor is a prerequisite.

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke thought for a moment and said seriously, "I'm relatively skilled at high‑altitude strikes and dive bombing."

As she spoke, she patted the small pouch at her waist and said, "I've brought plenty of self‑destruct fire mines, remote‑controlled fire mines, and missile fire mines."

Lin Ke's gaze followed her motion and shifted to that inconspicuous little pouch.

He had long noticed that little pouch, but he never imagined it was actually a storage magical device.

As for spatial storage magical devices, Lin Ke had long coveted them and had once looked up related information.

Regarding the manufacturing principle, the operational principle, and the principle that allows normal use after cross‑dimensional transmission, etc., Lin Ke completely understands none of it.

He only knows that spatial storage magical devices are extremely precious.

Shaliya, Tina, and Aila—three witches who had just graduated from the advanced academy as official witches—none of them were equipped with a spatial storage magical device.

Lin Ke had only seen such devices on the Pa Luo witch, the Se Lin witch, the Ke Di witch, and the Luo Ken witch, with whom he got along well.

Fuluoli is indeed the most extravagant!

Feeling a surge of emotion, Lin Ke said, "I'm relatively skilled at frontal assault and defensive counterattacks."

"Huh?"

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke couldn't help but feel doubtful.

Frontal assault and defensive counterattack are completely different combat styles.

She was quite curious how Linke Grand could combine the two.

But now isn't the time to dig into details; Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke didn't press further and instead went along, saying, "Then I'll follow your command."

"Okay."

Lin Ke readily agreed.

As for command of the team, Lin Ke would never relinquish it.

After settling on a preliminary division of labor, the two did not stay put but set into motion.

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke had no clear objective, yet she truly followed Lin Ke's commands, even though no battle had occurred yet.

Thus, the direction they proceeded remained toward Mo Li's location.

Along the way they would occasionally stop to gather samples and prepare specimens.

This is the request Lin Ke put forward.

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke neither objected nor perfunctorily went through the motions; she worked very conscientiously.

"What do you think of the main quest and side quests?"

Another pause in the march, Lin Ke multitasked—taking samples, constantly monitoring the reconnaissance puppet's findings, and asking.

"I'm fine with anything; I have no particular opinion."

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke spread out the corpse of a butterfly-like creature, used a minor water-system magic trick to drain its moisture, then carefully laid the prepared dry specimen on the tablet, secured it, and attached a label.

The label bore the specimen's name, collection location, and collection time.

What she's doing isn't just a side quest, is it?

As for the main quest, whatever happens, happens.

Lin Ke sensed Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke's indifferent attitude.

Based on his observations, he preliminarily judged this to be her genuine attitude and also preliminarily thought Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke might be a pleasure-seeker.

Such people are driven by preference and fun; for the sake of amusement, they can put in considerable effort.

But if she were truly expected to strive and struggle ambitiously, she might instead end up slacking off.

Lin Ke's question was somewhat like asking a blind person.

After thinking, Lin Ke decided to remain self-centered, not lightly asking for opinions except on very crucial matters.

Asking would be pointless.

He roughly estimated the time spent from entering this realm, starting to act, up to now.

If we go by the time flow before entering the interworld portal, it should have been more than four hours.

It would be wise to find a place to eat, replenishing the body's needed nutrition and energy.

When marching in the wilderness, water and food are two essentials that must be emphasized and cannot be done without.

Not eating or drinking will get you killed,

Lin Ke's big pack contained some rations, the kind where a single compressed biscuit can fill your stomach.

As for water, with the Purification Water Technique, there's basically no shortage.

"Take a break, drink some water, eat something."

He chose the leeward side of a small soil mound, Lin Ke took off his big pack and set it on the ground.

He took a cup from the side pocket of his big pack, and with a thought, deployed the innovative Secondary Mist Rain Technique.

A line of water appeared out of thin air above the cup, like a teapot pouring tea, tracing a beautiful arc, ready to plunge into the cup.

Lin Ke then cast another Purification Water Technique.

The Purification Water Technique acted like a filter, spread across the cup's rim.

Pure clean water flowed into the cup, while minute impurities remained outside.

The two spells were cast, aside from their short casting time, they showed nothing special elsewhere, plain and unadorned.

But beside her, Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke, who had pulled a small stool from her waist-side pouch and was about to sit down to rest, saw this scene and was so startled her jaw almost dropped.

"This... this... this..."

She pointed at Lin Ke's cup, somewhat incoherent, stammered for a moment, then managed to say a complete sentence: "How did you do that?"

A short casting time isn't special; just diligently practice a certain magic, raising your mastery of it to the consummate level will do.

The reason Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke got so excited is simple.

She recognized that water line, which was formed by the Secondary Mist Rain Technique.

She also knows the Secondary Mist Rain Technique, so she's fully aware of how difficult it is to form a single water line on its own and steadily control its flow speed.

Lin Ke laughed and played a private joke: "Nothing special, just skill from practice."

Of course, translating it into the wizard world's language, "nothing but practice makes perfect" becomes "the more you practice, the more proficient your technique becomes."

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke certainly doesn't believe it.

She turned away, rolled her eyes, and muttered, "If you don't want to say, don't say it; why lie?"

Faced with this Mo Li-style trick, Lin Ke remained unmoved.

The grading of magic mastery—entry, familiarity, proficiency, consummation, innovation—is not Lin Ke's exclusive standard.

This grading standard has long prevailed in the wizard world.

The Secondary Mist Rain Technique isn't some special magic; displaying the "innovation" level isn't worth making a fuss over.

Meanwhile, Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke openly displayed her space-storage magic device.

Lin Ke simply didn't want to elaborate on how he found the opportunity to break the Secondary Mist Rain Technique from consummation to the innovation level.

"Um..."

As everyone knows, in life there are some scenes where parabolic-type water lines are often seen.

For example, tap water, or pouring tea.

Also, for example, taking a piss.

Would it be feasible for Lin Ke to pretend he was inspired by other scenes and then share his experience with others?

Impossible!

Wanting to share such inspiration isn't like teaching math, where 1 is 1 and 2 is 2.

Without reproducing the scene, how can one lecture on insights?

If he really had to give a talk, would he have to publicly play with birds?

Lin Ke shook his head, laughed, and drove those absurd images from his mind.

"Here, replenish some moisture."

He then took out another unused clean cup, poured half the purified water, and handed it to Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke.

Thanks.

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke turned around, took the cup, didn't avoid Lin Ke, and directly cast a wood-system detox technique.

Seeing that the clear water in the cup showed no abnormal reaction, she slowly began to sip it.

Lin Ke didn't mind.

If it were him eating or drinking what Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke gave, he would do the same—first checking for toxicity.

When out and about, it's still better to be cautious.

"Someone's coming!"

Halfway through her drink, Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke suddenly issued a warning.

She took out a smartbrain from her small bag, tapped the screen a few times, and pulled up the footage the bionic eagle had captured from high altitude.

All that could be seen was a three-person team advancing from the nine o'clock direction, searching as they went, moving quite fast.

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke enlarged the faces and examined them carefully.

Lin Ke had arranged the deployment of four reconnaissance puppets, glanced sideways at the smartbrain screen, and couldn't help but frown slightly.

These three were also local apprentices from the North District.

At this point, Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke gave Lin Ke a meaningful look and asked, "I have good news and bad news— which do you want to hear first?"

"Good news first, then bad."

Lin Ke poured out the water from the two cups, put them away, took out a big killer from his large pack as a backup, and also checked that everything hanging on the Defender 3202 suit belt could be easily drawn.

"The good news is I know them; the bad news is……"

Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke put away her small stool, also got ready for battle, and, drawing out her words, said, "They're all members of the Pureblood Will; they're probably after you."

Obviously, Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke was very familiar with the Pureblood Will members; she quickly judged that they had discovered Lin Ke's whereabouts, which is why they came rushing over so fast.

Lin Ke, upon seeing Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke's bionic eagle and spatial storage magical device, had already braced himself mentally for being discovered.

North District locals make money too easily; unlike the poor Newbloods of the South District Storm Sea.

Aren't magical devices something you can just buy?

(End of chapter)